chapter 19

In a hospital bed, lay the right hand woman of the next soul king. Breathing apparatus hooked up to her mouth and bandages wrapped around her stump.

Walter stood beside her, this room was made separate from his cabin in the frozen forest.

Solitude.

That is what Walter wanted for mitsuri. He could not speak for what she wanted, he was no longer deserving, nor did he trust himself to make the right decision for her.

No one should decide for another.

How long had he sat here? He didn't know.

How long would he sit here? He didn't know.

How long would he wallow? However long it took.

That was the only thing that he was certain of.

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Walter... is distraught.

And I can do nothing. I, am not close enough to Walter when compared with Melascula and Mitsuri. I am no shoulder to lean on.

Yet.

Yachiru returned, only to be deep in thought. She did not seem to be a person who thought often. Not only did yachiru return, there were two others. A man with a strange haircut and wore what I recall to be a... haori? It was white.

Like the snow.

There was another. A woman. Pink hair, ethereal beauty.

Not human. A soul? No physical body it would seem. Strange... such beings shouldn't be able to exist. Not... since...

Walter.

I see. These are a byproduct of Walter's actions. What a strange mind that man has.

The girl immediately created a canvas, pulling out a brush and paint from... somewhere. A flurry of paint splashes revealed the girl had drawn Walter. The painting was exquisite, each detail drawn wonderfully, his eyes were devoid of any emotion.

Apathy.

Walter's hands were splattered with blood and held right against the painting.

"An accurate depiction of what he did to you. Truly, the most terrifying thing about that man is not his might, but his mind. Such a loving man. Benevolent even, but in an instant, he can turn into the most violent and cruel man you've ever seen."

What he did to you? That... what happened?

"Whaddya mean what he did to you?" Lena appeared right next to the girl, like an overexcited child. But the way she moved was peculiar.

It didn't feel like movement... more, what was the term again?

Chronomancy

That was the magic she wielded. I recall a conversation with an individual with enough gall to challenge me. He did not scale to even ddraig.

"Chronomancy is the strongest form of magic!" The man boasted as if second nature.

He was easily tossed aside. Death was all that he received. That girl is a chronomancer.

Was Walter responsible? It's quite possible.

Mystery is a cloak that he wears.

"Well, hmm. What's a way to explain this? You see, I was like a blank canvas to him. He made that blank canvas, and painted over it. Making me!" Lena looked at the artist strangely, I did too.

It was a strange metaphor.

The man with the pompadour sat on one of the chairs, silent and pondering.

Strange...

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Above it all, sat two gods. One, the creator, the leader of the angels, the biblical God himself.

Yhwach.

A simple table sat in front of his chair. Across the table sat another god.

One just as old and wise as yhwach himself. The slayer of Ymir, wielder of gungnir, the allfather of the norse.

Odin.

The two gods were good friends. Yhwach wore green robes with beige ones over the green. His white beard and hair looking majestic.

Odin wore long black robes, a black eyepatch and his hair pushed back, two parts hanging down, just like his beard.

"How've you been, yhwach?" The deep voice of odin broke the silence.

"Its been... tedious. Lucifer rebelled and... a strange man appeared. He looked strange, he also had reiatsu. That's something not everyone can use. He easily sent my son right back to me."

The two knew of reiatsu, God's such as them could easily obtain such knowledge through their agents.

Yhwach through his angels.

Odin through his valkyries.

"I see. Did your son say why he rebelled?" God slumped in his wooden chair, the clouds they sat upon turning slightly grey.

"He couldn't understand why I created humans. He believed I was trying to replace him, and his siblings. I would never!" God slammed his fist on the table, lightning striking from the cloud as he did.

"I understand, yhwach. Did the man say anything else?"

"He wanted to establish himself as a peacekeeper for hire." Odin was... confused. Who would waste their time creating peace when war was so fun?

"Hmm, I guess I do require help with a certain task. Thyrm has been making his displeasure of me more and more public. A war will break out should I do nothing. It may be an Intriguing test of his abilities." Yhwach could only think that Odin was correct, however, there was one small issue.

How were they going to contact him?

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Walter himself was the answer to their question.

As any man who's taken a mission, there will obviously be a need to collect a reward.

As the leader of his sternritter, many may believe he wanted a reward.

No

Walter had no interest in a reward. But if someone asked him what he wanted, he would probably say money.

For a simple reason, when one's goals are unkown, people tend to not trust them. So being known as greedy for the sake of trust, was a necessity.

"I'll be back mitsuri."

The wall of white branch's opened once more and he stepped through.

Through to the throne room of heaven.

"Welcome, Mr Newgate. I am Michael, at the moment, father isn't present. Would you like for me to contact him?" Walter was pleasantly surprised, Michael was described as a hot head before the death of God.

"If you wouldn't mind, that would be much appreciated." The man stood there calmly as the angel wondered off to find his father.

The man who yhwach named himself after. I suppose it'd be quite confusing if I called them both yhwach.

Juha Bach was the alternate name they called him, I guess I'll call him that name too.

My spiritual brother of sorts.

It would be a stretch to call him a brother, as I am just the soul King's brain. If anything, he'd be somewhat like a son or nephew.

Hah... the irony of the phrase 'my child born in the dark' is not lost on me.

Juha won't change. There's not a chance in hell. He was born in the dark, literally. Juha uses his method's so he will never go back to that state.

I was just lucky that when I gained his powers it didn't put me into such a state.

His story is a sad one, but his goal isn't inherently evil. But a world without death would be stagnant. What reason is there to progress when death will never come?

Not only that, but the world would constantly be at threat from pure hollow's.

Not even the soul king could defeat one effortlessly.

"So you're back. I thank you for returning my son. Despite how... terrified he seemed." I held back a grimace.

There is most definitely something wrong with me.

"I did as I was asked. Nothing more." Someone else is here, other than yhwach who stood in front of me.

I see, behind me.

No matter how well a being hides, few individuals can hide their souls.

I drew my right blade, swinging in a wide arc.

My blade met metal.

A long regal spear, covered in numerous runes on the gold metal. It's blade was sharp, I feel as though that could pierce my scales.

"You have good senses." The baritone voice that rang through my ears.

Lovely, here before me stand's Odin.

The all-father.

"I will not allow fighting in my throne room, Odin." His spear pulled away immediately, disappearing from my society.

I sheathed my blade as well.

"I have... a question."

"You wish to know the reason for my presence in heaven. Its a simple one, I wanted to visit my friend. But since you are here and yhwach has briefly informed me of your abilities, I have a task if you are willing."

"That comes later, Odin. What do you want as a reward?" A reward...

After what had happened, he only wanted one thing.

For Mitsuri to wake up.

"I... am not sure. But I have something I wish for you to attempt. If you would please, follow me." This is a gamble, I know that all too well.

I opened a door to the frozen forest, right to Mitsuri's bedside.

Yhwach followed me, as did Odin.

Two God's following a Dragon God to his own realm.

What a picture book.

"Such a gentle looking girl. She's injured, not just her body. But her soul." My heart dropped as it only just came to mind.

Zanpakuto don't just cut the body, they cut the soul.

Kido doesn't just damage the body, but a beings very soul.

No wonder she won't wake up. Ichibe essentially shattered a part of her soul.

I don't trust myself to use the visionary at this point. Not when there's clearly something wrong with me mentally.

"I cannot heal such a wound. To heal damage to the soul would require a miracle of immeasurable power."

"It's alright... I didn't have high expectations in the first place." I truly didn't. How can I expect someone to heal her injury when even tenjiro couldn't?

When soul reaper take damage from Quincy and hollows, they can take it because they are souls and are used to such attacks, thus their souls adapted to heal the damage.

Mitsuri has no such ability.

"Unfortunate, but I would like to make my request. The giant king thrym has been making his displeasure of my rule very well known. It won't be long until he declares war. While I would enjoy fighting a war, there are internal issues going on with my son loki."

"The trickster God making a mess? It's no surprise. I'll do your task, I'll deal with thrym. Any methods?"

"Any method's."

"Alright. Please, leave. I want to be alone right now. I'll deal with thyrm tomorrow." The two God's departed through the portal, silence radiating throughout the room.

"I'm sorry Mitsuri. I'm sorry. I couldn't even realise Ichibe was there." I held my head in my hands.

I'm a disappointment. I'm supposed to be the next soul king and I couldn't do shit to stop Ichibe!

Fuck all of this! No, calm down. Don't lose your cool.

Stay calm. That's not easy at all! I'm just so pissed off!

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Each of the sternritter felt their King's rage, lena, ophis and sunny being oblivious to it.

Derieri woke up in a shock, heavy breaths coming out.

Melascula shot up, eyes narrowed to a snake-like point.

Tenjiro frowned, the toothpick in his mouth slanting down.

Ophis clearly noticed a change in their demeanor, finally deciding that she would wait no longer.

Sunny was teaching Lena to paint. Sunny's work was a masterful thing while Lena's work looked like if you had given a toddler a brush.

Ophis left the cabin, dragon's weren't patient creatures. Not in the slightest.

She had restrained it for as long as she could, but that wasn't long. Ophis marched straight to the box house that sat a decent distance from the main cabin.

Spruce brown just like the cabin.

The infinite dragon god carefully pushed open the door.

There sat the mess called Walter Newgate, tears streaming down his face.

"Oh Walter. You poor man. Why do you never tell us of your suffering?" His closed eyes, he had fallen asleep.

This man tries to bear everything, I don't think he'll ever try and tell us about his problems.

I hugged his chest, I won't leave him.

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