Chapter 21: Out of Balance

After finishing their morning training, the two girls quickly bathed and returned to the teahouse. Kenji set aside a small brunch since they'd already had a small breakfast before. Furoufushi and Batsu'unsai were both eating in the kitchen while Kenji prepared some sweets for the day's sale. The amount he made was less than usual. Batsu's eye caught the odd sight. After working in Tengoku for almost a week, she was always fascinated by the meticulous work of the two-house members.

"Tenchou. There's less mochi and dango prepped?"

Batsu's curious question grabbed Furoufushi's attention away from the miso soup and rice. Answering for Kenji, her full mouth barely could sound out the response.

"Do yhou nob rememberb yesderday? *Gulp* *Gulp* Haah~!"

"*sigh* Mind your manners."

Kenji's sigh and weak reproach failed to elicit sympathy as he continued his work. Dismissing his dull appeal, she glanced at Batsu. She informed the youngest while picking her teeth.

"We killed like 20 guys yesterday. Well, I killed like 17. People will be scared as hell. In broad daylight like that, nobody'd want to be around murderers. We'll be hunted down soon. That many people, Shinigami'll come for sure."

"Hunted? I wouldn't say that."

Kenji interrupted Furoufushi's honest explanation before it became even more uncomfortable. Even Batsu was staring off into space when the truth hit her hard. Now that Kenji pulled their attention away, he offered another perspective.

"How do souls get sent from the human world to Soul Society?"

"Konsou? The thing that Shinigami do down there?"

Hearing Furoufushi's vague explanation, Kenji turned around from his work. It was time for a little basic education. Maybe even more.

"It's a ritual performed by Shinigami and powerful Human shamans. The purpose is to send souls to an afterlife. Souls that aren't chained to their physical bodies become Pluses, pure wandering spirits. But Pluses can disfigure into Hollows, that's called Encroachment. Encroachment is an agonizing corruption targeting the remnants of a chain of fate, the Pluses' former physical attachment. It becomes more likely to happen the longer they linger in the human world. At that point, Shinigami have to purify them with their Zanpakutou before preparing Konsou. With me so far?"

The two girls nodded in rapt attention. He pressed on as he sat at the table.

"Konsou separates pluses into one of two possible realms. Soul Society for the sinless and Hell for the sinners. Sins committed by humans are recorded in Hell's Tome of the Damned. For hollows, a separate record is made in Hueco Mundo's Tome of the Lost, their sins are seen as being under the influence of instinct. If one lived without sin as a human, they should always arrive in Soul Society. Even if they committed evils as a hollow, their souls should've been delivered to their destinations in a timely manner before the encroachment. It falls to the Shinigami to ensure they arrive before the corruption. Now…"

Eyeing the two pensive girls, he offered a question of his own.

"We know that Pluses are usually sent to two places, Soul Society or Hell. Shinigami act as a balancing force, sending off wayward souls. Pluses are separated into 'good' and 'evil' using certain criteria. Murdering as a human is a capital offense for hell-bound souls. Can either of you two tell me where 'good' or 'evil' souls residing in Soul Society are sent off to? Like those twenty from yesterday, where did they go?"

A look of uncertainty formed as the two frowned, deep in thought. Not once had they heard about Soul Society's send-offs. Kenji chuckled in amusement.

"Haha~! Exactly the face you should have. Let's step back even further. Although I joke about the Soul King, his role is pivotal in the function of nearly all Afterlifes and realms. Besides Hell, his influence almost spans wherever souls wander and are recorded. Soul Society, the Human World, Hueco Mundo, the Valley of Screams, and a few smaller ones, all fall under his influence."

"Why not Hell?"

Batsu couldn't contain her curiosity. Seeing her enthusiasm, Kenji had a small smile.

"Because there's already a Family of Keepers who guard Hell's Tome of the Damned. The Royal Family of Soul Society, the Soul King's family is tethered to the Tome of Souls, the Tome of the Living, and a few more like the Tome of the Lost. Right now, they have the right to judge souls and govern the realms."

""Right now?""

Kenji smirked seeing the sharp insight of his students.

"Conquest. All Tomes, all Afterlifes can be 'claimed' by the right of conquest. There's the right of lineage as well, but I digress."

Both girls wanted to hear a little more, but Kenji moved on.

"Returning to our main topic, murder. Why is it that murders can occur in Soul Society, yet no one seemingly answers for it? Sure, Shinigami apprehend the truly vicious psychopaths here and there, but what about your 'layman' criminals? Pluses or Souls are sent to Hell when they commit evils like murder in the Human World. Yet here is Soul Society, bathed in blood while the same souls continue to wander around without punishment. Seeing all of the clues, can you take a guess what happens to the deceased?"

Prompting the two girls to consider the possibilities, he quietly sipped on some tea. Furoufushi scratched her head as she answered hesitantly.

"Shinigami do a ritual or something?"

"A good answer, well done Fu-chan. However, that's a fraction of the full picture. Like Konsou, Shinigami are tasked with sending souls from Soul Society back into the Cycle of Reincarnation, to the Human world or elsewhere. They have been charged with this task by the Keeper of the Tomes, the Soul King. Trusted Shinigami have been given rituals to send souls wherever needed, like back into the cycle or directly to Hell for holding and purifying. This maintains the balance between realms both physical and afterlife. So, I've talked about the deceased, but what about the actual murderers? Why do they sometimes go unpunished? Ask yourselves this, if you removed all the 'bad' apples from the world, what would happen?"

After pausing to take another sip, he slowly and carefully responded to their troubled eyes.

"Bad apples fertilize the ground when they fall. Without 'bad', there can be no 'good'. Without a bitter struggle, there cannot be long-sought peace. Without death, there cannot be life. Any extreme can be a detriment, but having too little of something upsets the natural balance. This is where the Tomes come in. The tomes record every soul that comes into existence and their next destination, whether it be the afterlife or oblivion. They deem how and when to purify the 'extremes' or outliers and how to maintain a standard for Soul Deviation in the cycle. "

Both girls became restless.

"Things like Reishi purity or soul purity, previous afterlives, and their effect on the realms are recorded for each soul. 'Good' and 'Evil' too. That said, sometimes the standard of an era fluctuates. The realms are ever-growing and ever-changing, just like the Human world, it has to tolerate both some 'good' and some 'bad'. Even when the realms were nothing but a handful of villages and clans, the balance was the absolute truth, the only objective. Not sin. Not injustice. Not goodness or virtue. It's always been a blood-soaked balance where fairness is an afterthought. This is why Shinigami call themselves 'balancers'. They aren't righteous or peacekeepers. They are ensuring the world's continued survival through the King's will."

Kenji's voice was barely audible by the end as he tenderly gazed at the two. Their faces stayed solemn and sober. Batsu'unsai felt a lump in her throat after learning about the Tomes. Her cracked lips parted as she fixed her glasses.

"The Tomes. Can they change? Can't the Soul King change anything?"

Kenji shook his head and sighed in understanding.

"*sigh* If he could, he would've. The Tomes can't be altered in any way. They are beyond 'mortal' hands. They're sealed into the Cycle of Reincarnation."

"THAT'S…! There has to be a way!"

Furoufushi bit her lips as she yelled in frustration. Kenji squinted as he halted her eventual path. His stern voice caused her to shrink.

"Don't even think about it child! To touch the Tomes is to be bound by its code as a conduit. You would serve as its slave for the remainder of your existence. Your memories would decay and all things you value would be lost by the will of the balance. The Soul King and the Royal Tomes are one and the same. The tomes are parasites! You would simply be replacing him. Just trying to alter the Tomes can send the realms into Chaos!"

She gritted her teeth and glared at him. Fury painted her violet eye. Her fists clenched turning her knuckles white. Inflexible conviction filled the room.

"There's gotta be some way!"

Kenji's dull eyes softened upon seeing her determination. Placing his cup of tea on the table gently, he truly encouraged her wish for a just world, however, but he couldn't let her take on such a burden. A caring tone guided his plea.

"Tengoku Furoufushi. I told you these things so that you may see the world, not so you would be enslaved by it. There is only one way to rise above the toll of the Tomes, strength. Become an unshakable, irreplaceable being. Whatever realm it is, Soul Society, Hell, the Human World. You mustn't bend to the will of the Cycle, become what it isn't, 'Enduring'…"

Kenji then peered at Batsu. She felt her heart tremble seeing her clear reflection in his once cloudy eyes.

"'Caring'…"

His eyes glimpsed around the kitchen, toward the mill, the wooden mallet, the mochi mortar, and the rest of the equipment.

"And 'Fulfilled'… however many fights it takes, however strong you must become, you can't let it take these things."

Hearing his advice, Furoufushi abruptly stood up, causing her cup of tea to spill. Kenji looked up from his seat, his eyes met hers. Her sole violet eye turned misty as her shoulders trembled. A broken voice fell from her breathless lungs.

'The fuck are you talking about? I'm stuck here, like a dog? Strength? How long? When does it stop?'

"…"

Receiving only his silence and fading gaze, Furoufushi dashed out of the kitchen holding her stomach. Batsu fixed her glasses with shaking hands. She had been staring off into space digesting what was said. Emotions pulled her heart in every direction.

Kenji stopped her spiraling mind.

"Batsu'unsai."

"Y-yes?"

"Go. Keep each other company. No work, not today."

Batsu felt strength surge in her veins when she saw his trusting eyes. Once again, his eyes clearly reflected her. Without saying anything in reply she bolted out of the room, chasing after the eldest. Kenji, now alone, stared into his cup. He mocked himself upon seeing his 'aged' self in the liquid.

"Hah! So sentimental, when did I start caring for a bunch of brats in their first century? Who thought this was a good idea? Haah~, I need a drink."

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Two young women raced up the streets heading north. Traveling at speeds unseen, they blurred past civilians at dangerous speeds. The figure in front was clutching her stomach with her right hand. A sword was tightly wrenched in her other. Her pale face was an unhealthy ashen pallor. Drops of sweat rested on her whitened forehead.

The second figure continued its persistent chase even as exhaustion began to manifest. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to maintain the distance so as not to be left behind. A sword gripped in her right hand. She huffed, trying to soothe her inflamed lungs.

After 10 minutes of chasing, the second figure noticed the first slow down. The familiar landscape sprawled out in front of them. Uncultivated and poorly maintained wet fields primarily used for harvesting rice. The vast expanse carried on for a half kilometer. Their entire vision was filled with brown muddy pastures interspersed with wild grasses.

Furoufushi and Batsu'unsai stood on the mound overlooking the view. Still clutching her stomach, Furoufushi knelt on the ground.

"Bluaghh~ *cough* *cough* Hakk~ *Ptui* Gaaauuugh~ Auuuk~"

She emptied the contents of her stomach on the grass. Batsu refrained from helping, yet her eyes never left the crouching girl. Her hand squeezed her sword with visible vexation.

Furoufushi wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and cleaned the traces of vomit from her mouth. Her voice lowered in weakness.

"I'm training. You can leave princess. Run on back."

Furoufushi kept her eye on the wide fields. A deep breath eased her lungs. With wobbling legs, she stood up and started down the slope. Batsu'unsai bit her bottom lip as she watched. Doubt and helplessness troubled her mind. Yet seeing the small, hunched figure below her flared deep emotions that were hidden under ash and rain. An unconscious call to move budded in her heart.

*shk*

Feeling a strange sensation, Batsu's eyes landed on her clamped right hand. Staring at the sword in her hand, her eyes narrowed in a pensive expression. Her lips thinned in a line. A murmur escaped her lips.

"I must be going crazy."

She looked at Furoufushi, stumbling in the mud, keeping her sword high above the sopping-wet soil. No sounds left the weakened girl as she slowly returned and started over. Closing her eyes, Batsu shook her head and fixed her glasses. Denial firmly planted itself in her mind as she sighed. Recovering from her silly thoughts, her eyes opened and widened. Unknowingly, she found herself downhill, standing in the field already.

A wry smile showed on her face.

"I am going crazy."

With the sun overhead, she sunk her feet into the mud.

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[A/N: Hi folks, I know this chapter was probably a little overwhelming and lengthy. Likely controversial too. The 'Tomes' were something I carefully considered. They fit into the background and motivations of some characters. Don't worry, this story won't be some fetch quest, 'Gotta catch 'em all!' style. No fights with gods or aliens. The tomes won't flood the story. This is a story about a few individuals living and fighting in Soul Society. I just wanted to have some plausible points of interest. I shook the story up with the Tomes to provide a mechanism for Soul Society's function and the Soul King's existence. Spoiler Below. Skip the following paragraph if you're anime only! The paragraph after the next one will be spoiler-free.

//Spoiler//

Even though Yhwach absorbed the Soul King in canon, I felt it could use some context or elaboration. A 'parasite' that could move between hosts, the tomes. A mechanism that essentially governs worlds and judges souls should be harsh and transformative. We see the Soul King sealed away, but why?

//Spoiler End//

I'm curious what everyone's take on this would be. My aim with the 'tomes' isn't to erase the Soul King's significance, but to deepen the untold history. We know the King is important, but why specifically? What is it that keeps the worlds tethered together? Is it really one man? Or could it be we all 'serve' a higher purpose? I don't intend to delve into religion or higher beings in this story. The Cycle of Reincarnation is already a prominent concept for Bleach. I'm going to keep it that way.

Let me know your thoughts, gripes, the deal.

Keep it real,

AKD_Khmer