The Inner World—this realm was a physical manifestation of the soul. Every grain of sand underfoot was part of that soul.
Even the full moon that hung suspended in the sky above.
"You're saying... that moon is my Fullbring?!" Nanatsuki raised an eyebrow.
"To be precise, the 'Teacher System' is your Fullbring." The silver-haired girl offered a faint, elusive smile. "A rather interesting Fullbring, wouldn't you say?"
"It possesses properties similar to The Dreamer, capable of rewriting reality… even somewhat akin to the Hōgyoku, a wish-granting artifact that fulfills desire. The difference is that it manifests through feedback: helping others grow, and in turn, gaining growth yourself. That's far more entertaining than Yhwach's 'Soul Distribution' and 'Soul Reclamation.'"
Nanatsuki frowned, digesting her words.
He had never expected the Teacher System to be a Fullbring!
But thinking in terms of how Fullbring functioned, it wasn't entirely implausible.
He had some understanding of the phenomenon—Fullbring was a power unique to souls imbued with fragments of the Soul King.
Each Fullbringer wielded a distinct ability, much like the Quincy's Schrift, a tangible expression of their soul. The abilities varied wildly from person to person.
Some Fullbringers could rival even Captain-level Shinigami.
And Nanatsuki, having traversed into the shadow of the Soul King, naturally met the conditions for awakening a Fullbring.
So perhaps it wasn't so strange that he'd manifested one.
"Yukio's Fullbring allowed him to alter reality through a game… even affected himself. When I think about it that way, it's not so odd that the Teacher System can influence the world too."
Nanatsuki thought of Yukio, the yet-unborn Fullbringer, whose power allowed for total reality reconstruction.
The Teacher System's power far exceeded that—it felt even more potent than the Hōgyoku itself.
"So you've accepted it. Youths adapt to new things so quickly," the silver-haired girl chuckled.
The "Will of the Soul King" seemed increasingly intrigued. Her expression grew livelier, no longer resembling a cold porcelain doll.
"Because it's true," Nanatsuki replied, gazing up at the moon. Now that he understood its nature, he could feel his connection to it—everything he'd suspected now confirmed.
Knowing the Teacher System had been born from his soul brought him a measure of peace.
He'd long feared that the system had been forced onto him by the Soul King.
After all, the Soul King was the god of the Three Realms—it wasn't impossible for him to implant something like that.
Nanatsuki had no choice but to consider: Was I cultivated by the Soul King as the next Linchpin of the Three Realms?
If the system had been given to him from the outside, it could become a fatal weakness in the future.
And he wasn't about to let himself be someone's pawn.
"A power born from the soul of an outsider... how fascinating. It's like a fusion of Soul Distribution, Soul Reclamation, The Dreamer, the Hōgyoku… and even the future Invader's Game," the silver-haired girl whispered dreamily, eyes still fixed on the pale moon.
"You know about the Invader's Game? You can observe other people's futures?" Nanatsuki asked sharply.
The Invader's Game was the Fullbring of Yukio, who had yet to be born. That the silver-haired girl could name it implied she had knowledge of future events—perhaps even the ability to see them.
Yhwach, too, could observe the future, though his ability was largely limited to futures related to himself.
"I see all—past, present, and future," she said, and her pupils split into four.
"The future's already changed?" Nanatsuki asked.
"It has," she nodded gently.
Yes, the future could change.
Since Nanatsuki's arrival in this world, the course of fate had diverged significantly from what once was.
"And it continues to change constantly. Even in this brief conversation, I've witnessed thousands of new possibilities," she said, pausing before adding, "Because I cannot see your future clearly, every choice you make alters what I can see. And I find that quite… fun."
"A mutable future is far more interesting than a static one."
"You came into my Inner World just to observe the Teacher System?" Nanatsuki fixed his gaze on her four-part pupils.
"Yes." She stood up and nodded lightly. "I can observe the future anytime, anywhere. But the Teacher System… I can only see it from here."
"What about the Lord of Hell? Are you grooming a new 'Linchpin of the Three Realms'?" Nanatsuki sensed that the Soul King's Will was preparing to leave, and rushed to ask what others could never answer.
"The Linchpin of the Three Realms…" The silver-haired girl's expression turned faintly amused. "You're an interesting one. Despite not having eyes like mine, you seem to understand so much. From my observation, you don't possess the power to see the future..."
She giggled softly, as if remembering something ridiculous.
"Didn't you just encourage Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni to attack the Wandenreich? And now you're afraid I'm grooming you to be the next Linchpin?"
"Yeah... that's exactly what I'm worried about," Nanatsuki admitted without hesitation.
When he first obtained the Reishi Shell Puppet, he was determined to stop Yhwach's revival. Eliminating him early would be a massive advantage for the Shinigami—and it would prevent the rise of the Transcendent Yhwach.
But times change.
After attempting to control Enrakyōden through the puppet and diving deep into communion with it, he began to notice the abnormalities of Datenshinkotsu.
What he learned from Shihōin Yoruichi about other divine weapons only deepened his suspicions.
He even began to suspect that the system itself had been implanted by the Soul King, designed to raise him as the next Linchpin.
So now, he no longer wanted Yhwach to fall so early.
If Yhwach attacked the Royal Palace, absorbed the Soul King, and became the Linchpin of the Three Realms—it would actually be better for Nanatsuki.
"I can still hold out for some time. Even without Yhwach, there are other options. As for making you the Linchpin..." The silver-haired girl shook her head. "A 'variable' who constantly reshapes the future is far more valuable to this world than another Linchpin."
"Then what about the Lord of Hell?" Nanatsuki pressed.
He didn't fully trust the Will of the Soul King's words—but at the very least, he now understood her surface-level intentions.
"The Lord of Hell," she began slowly, "was once part of the Soul King."