The silver-haired girl spoke words that shook the foundation of Nanatsuki's understanding—the Lord of Hell… was once part of the Soul King.
"I had my suspicions..." Nanatsuki frowned. "But that must've been before the Three Realms were formed. Some of the ancient clans have records from the primordial age—accounts of the Lord of Hell even before the Three Realms existed."
"Yes, it was long ago," the silver-haired girl replied quietly.
The primordial world was formed by chaos and Hell.
Hollows devoured humans endlessly. Hell expanded without restraint. If left unchecked, every soul would eventually be consumed by a vast Hollow, and the world itself would be eroded—transformed into a lifeless stillness.
The Soul King attempted to intervene.
But his first efforts failed—and in the process, he lost a portion of his power.
That lost power fused with a great Hollow who had devoured countless souls, deep within Hell, and from that union was born… the Lord of Hell.
Later, the Soul King created the Three Realms, severing their connection to Hell and allowing the Reishi to circulate only within them. This slowed Hell's expansion.
But only slowed it.
"Even now," she continued, "souls of great strength who die within the Three Realms still end up in Hell."
"In the primordial world," Nanatsuki added slowly, "there was no life or death. Those concepts came with the Three Realms. Once a powerful soul leaves, it no longer abides by those rules."
The silver-haired girl nodded. That was why captains and powerful souls could revive in Hell.
Hell was a part of the original world.
And in that world, life and death were meaningless. All souls were simply clusters of Reishi. Even if shattered, they would eventually reassemble.
"But... the Quincy's power can completely erase Hollow Reishi..." Nanatsuki said under his breath. "So what about beings that possess more than just Hollow powers? Could the Quincy annihilate them completely?"
A troubling thought surfaced.
Quincy powers could utterly destroy Hollows, preventing them from resurrecting in Hell. And he now had Hollow energy within himself.
If he were slain by Quincy power... would that mean true death? Would he vanish entirely?
"Someone like you..." she shook her head gently, "if killed by a Quincy, only the Hollow Reishi within you would be purified. The rest of your soul would still descend to Hell."
"You're not destroying the Lord of Hell because you're trying to slow Hell's expansion?" Nanatsuki asked. "And the Hell's Eye sealed inside—it's part of that plan too, isn't it?"
Powerful souls still flowed to Hell. The balance wouldn't last forever.
Nanatsuki had discovered the "Hell's Eye" seal—its ritual constantly transported Hell's Reishi into Muken, purifying it into regular spirit particles.
He now believed it was designed to suppress Hell's growth.
"That's part of it. But over time, the Lord of Hell's remains have absorbed vast quantities of Hell Reishi. If he were to resurrect, his power would far exceed what it once was." She paused. "The current Soul King, fragmented as he is, wouldn't be able to face him. Only the Soul King at full strength could stand a chance."
"Then for the Three Realms, that would mean annihilation..." Nanatsuki's voice dropped cold.
Even as a Transcendent, he might not be able to stand against the resurrected Lord of Hell. Only a being on par with the Soul King in his prime could do so.
"Exactly. And that's why I'm leaving this little problem to you." She spread her arms with practiced nonchalance. "After all, the current Soul King is nothing more than a Linchpin, sealed inside a crystal."
"You sure put a lot of faith in me..." Nanatsuki's brow twitched.
"You've already altered too many things. The future is no longer visible." Her smile returned. "Even the Soul King, who managed to nudge Kurosaki Ichigo's mother into early birth, can no longer guarantee Ichigo is capable of carrying the future."
Originally, the Soul King had chosen Kurosaki Ichigo.
But with Nanatsuki's meddling, even the Soul King couldn't clearly foresee Ichigo's potential anymore. A different birth time might yield a different soul resonance.
Which is why the Lord of Hell's threat had now been entrusted to Nanatsuki—the variable.
"So then… does His Majesty the Soul King have any advice on how to handle the Lord of Hell?"
Even if she hadn't offered, Nanatsuki knew he couldn't ignore it.
Everything he held dear lived within the Three Realms—he would not watch it burn.
"You've already found the Hellgate in Hueco Mundo. Once you're strong enough, destroy the Lord of Hell's Zanpakutō. That sword contains a fragment of his soul—but be warned, it has absorbed more Hell Reishi than Yhwach did from the Soul King's body."
"The one guarded by that Soul King servant?"
"Correct. That sword is sealed inside that gateway."
"But it's only a fragment of his soul, right? What about the rest, sealed within Hell?"
"As I said, only the Soul King in his prime could destroy it. That part is up to you. Kurosaki Ichigo's mother will be born early… just in case."
She gave no detailed plan—everything depended on Nanatsuki's own strength.
"I understand." He nodded. In the end, it would come down to power.
But the Soul King would still ensure Ichigo's birth, as a backup.
Human souls moved freely within the Three Realms. Ichigo and his future mother, Kurosaki Masaki, were no exception.
Apparently, the Soul King could still manipulate this cycle—nudging Masaki's soul to reincarnate earlier within the Kurosaki family.
All that was needed was for Shiba Isshin and Kurosaki Masaki to come together, and for Ichigo's soul to be born through them. His lineage and soul would match the original Ichigo's—only the timing would differ.
Still, even that came with uncertainty.
Two people conceiving a child at different points in time could produce very different offspring. Strength, aptitude—none of it was guaranteed.
It was a high-probability draw. But a draw nonetheless.
That's why the Soul King couldn't pin the world's hopes solely on Ichigo—he was only an insurance policy now.
"...It feels like I haven't just been talking to the Soul King," Nanatsuki said quietly, his gaze fixed on the silver-haired girl.
He'd noticed something—she kept referring to the Soul King, never once claiming to be him.
"You're right," she nodded. "I am Datenshinkotsu. I am part of the Soul King—but not the Soul King himself. Just like Pernida and Gerard. If the Soul King cuts ties with me, I exist as my own being."
The Soul King's awareness and Datenshinkotsu's will had been communicating with Nanatsuki in tandem.
"The Soul King has cut that link. It's time I left."
With that, the silver-haired girl dissolved into starlight and drifted from the Inner World, returning to the blade—Datenshinkotsu—resting at Nanatsuki's waist.