There are 72 barriers between the Soul King Palace and the Soul Society, which can only be bypassed using the Ōken — the Royal Key.

In other words, it is impossible for ordinary Shinigami to reach the Soul King Palace using "free-flight" methods, such as the Shunkō-enhanced mobility used by Yoruichi Shihouin in the original series, nor can they ascend by manipulating reishi platforms like the Quincy or Fullbringers do.

Even someone as wise and calculated as Aizen Sōsuke, or as inherently divine as Yhwach, the son of the Soul King, could not circumvent these 72 barriers. The Ōken is absolutely essential for entry.

The Ōken, as established in the original Bleach manga (Chapter 398 onward), refers to the bones of Royal Guard members, restructured and empowered by the Soul King himself after they are chosen for the Zero Division. Only with this power can the path to the Soul King Palace be opened.

"Boom!"

With a thunderous roar, the Tenjūren — launched by the Shiba Clan's massive spiritual cannon — finally crashed onto the Soul King Palace's approach path.

"We're here!"

As the gate of the Tenjūren opened, the monk — Ichibē Hyōsube — stepped out first, leaving Araki behind with his characteristically imposing back.

Araki frowned slightly as he observed the symbol on Ichibē's feathered mantle. He hadn't paid it much attention before, but upon closer inspection, he noticed the arrangement of the four Shinodama flowers in the Zero Division's crest bore a striking resemblance to the four irises within the Soul King's eyes.

Without a word, Araki followed closely behind the monk.

As he stepped onto the Omotesandō, the entrance path of the Soul King Palace, Araki was immediately struck by an invisible spiritual pressure pressing down on him. The reishi concentration here was far greater than in both the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo.

Anyone lacking sufficient spiritual strength or a reinforced spirit body would find even basic movement here an immense struggle — as alluded to during Ichigo's initial arrival in the Soul King Palace (cf. Bleach Chapter 518).

"Rejoice! This isn't a place just any Death God gets to see!"

Ichibē walked forward with a proud grin, casting a side glance at Araki.

"I'm really flattered."

Araki replied flatly, adapting himself to the dense reishi environment.

"This is Omotesandō — you can think of it as a transit station. Now, look up…"

The monk pointed skyward.

"Those two pot-lid-looking things up there? They're the palaces of me and Nimaiya Ōetsu. And that tower above them — that's the Soul King's Grand Palace. That is the true Soul King Palace, where the Soul King rests."

Ichibē, seemingly unaffected by the oppressive spiritual atmosphere, continued walking and talking as if this surreal environment were entirely mundane to him.

"Hmm…"

Araki looked upward as instructed and observed the strange sky: two floating structures like giant lids — undoubtedly the palaces of Ichibē and Ōetsu — and a towering crystalline palace further above them.

With this, Araki confirmed a critical detail: only two members of the Zero Division were present here — for now.

"The heart of a Zero Division member, huh…?"

Araki narrowed his eyes at the palace.

He knew the truth: these weren't mere places of residence. Each Zero Division member's palace was the core of their life. As long as their palace remained intact, their physical bodies could be revived — rendering them essentially immortal, a concept confirmed during Bleach: Can't Fear Your Own World.

To defeat the Zero Division, it was not enough to kill their bodies. One would have to destroy their palaces. Especially the monk's.

"I have the feeling you're thinking something very dangerous right now, Brother Araki."

Ichibē suddenly shivered mid-sentence. He glanced over his shoulder to see Araki squinting ominously at the sky.

A bead of cold sweat ran down the back of his head. He felt as though the secret he and Ōetsu had kept — the truth about their palaces — had just been fully laid bare by Araki's stare.

"By the way, where did the 'Sword God' go?"

Araki diverted the topic with a question. He noticed that Ōetsu Nimaiya, the famed Sword God and the man who forged the Zanpakutō, was no longer walking beside them.

"Ōetsu? I asked him to retrieve a few things for me. Don't worry — just stay close and follow me."

Ichibē scanned the area himself before replying, confirming that Nimaiya was indeed absent.

"Oh."

Araki nodded calmly and kept walking.

Araki nodded slightly—but in truth, he didn't believe a single word from the monk's mouth.

That monk was a schemer—an old man full of tricks. Not someone to be trusted so easily.

"So, are we heading to the Soul King Palace now to pay our respects to Lord Soul King?"

Araki's tone was calm, but his gaze was sharp.

"Not yet," the monk replied, shaking his head with a knowing smile. "Come with me to my palace first. There's something I need to give you."

"Oh?" Araki raised an eyebrow. "Weren't you planning to test whether my ability works on the Soul King? If I don't meet the Soul King, how will I know whether my ability has any effect on him?"

His words were laced with subtle challenge. From beginning to end, Araki had never once let down his guard around this monk.

"Your current spiritual pressure is too weak," the monk said bluntly. "Even if your ability could theoretically affect the Soul King, you wouldn't have the power to gather all the Soul King's scattered fragments, let alone reintegrate them into his divine body."

"That's why, before you meet the Soul King, I need to push your strength to the pinnacle of what it means to be a Shinigami."

The monk's words rang with conviction, but Araki heard more than just guidance—he heard intention.

So that's his reason, Araki mused. The monk didn't want him to fail. But more importantly, he didn't want Araki meeting the Soul King until he was strong enough to be useful.

"The pinnacle of a Shinigami… You mean first-class spiritual power?" Araki asked, his expression finally shifting in interest.

"Exactly." The monk nodded with a gentle grin.

'First-class spiritual power'—a realm that only a few in all of Soul Society could claim. Even among the Royal Guard, those who had reached that tier could be counted on one hand.

A Shinigami who stepped into that realm no longer died easily. And when they did, their death would disrupt the balance of the Three Realms—possibly even endanger their very foundation.

"…Interesting," Araki murmured, the corners of his mouth lifting into a subtle smirk.

He wasn't naive.

There was no such thing as a free gift in this world. The monk's kindness in helping him grow stronger—wasn't kindness at all. It was an investment. A setup. A trap laced with honey.

But Araki wasn't the type to refuse sweets—he'd take all the sugar-coating, and when the bullet came, he'd send it flying back twice as hard.

"It seems you've made up your mind, Brother Araki."

The monk saw through the resolve in his eyes and smiled knowingly.

"Of course," Araki replied calmly. "A man must be bold when the time comes."

There are no chasms before the tiger, only obstacles before the coward.

(Author's note on Spiritual Power Levels):

The setting in this fanfiction makes slight adjustments to the conventional Bleach framework. Since Kubo's original system never defined spiritual power tiers with precision, this story adopts a second-layer classification.

Here's the modified hierarchy:

Second-class spiritual power: The level of most powerful Captains and many high-tier combatants. However, the strength gap is wide—hence terms like "early second-class," "great perfection," or "half-step first-class" are used but considered clunky and impractical.

First-class spiritual power: Characters like Yamamoto Genryūsai and Unohana Retsu fall into this category. Despite both being in the same tier, the gulf between them is still vast.

Special-class / Wedge-level: This category includes beings like Aizen and Yhwach—entities powerful enough to replace the Soul King himself. Their spiritual power transcends the framework of the Gotei 13 and aligns with the metaphysical function of a "wedge" that stabilizes the Three Realms.

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