Chapter 72: Sōkyoku
"It's been over two years since coming to Soul Society."
Lying back on his bed, Suoh Tsukasa gazed at the ceiling, his thoughts churning endlessly. Joyful emotions prevented him from falling asleep immediately.
Unlike Soul Society's inhabitants who blurred the scale and concept of time, his perception of the sun and moon's alternating cycles remained exceptionally clear, and he valued it especially.
Perhaps it was a habit from his previous life, or perhaps after finding a sense of belonging in Soul Society, he particularly cherished the present days.
Each sunrise and sunset left an imprint on his heart.
Precisely because of this, during his time in Rukongai he'd always use days he considered worth commemorating as excuses to pull people around him together.
A table of carefully prepared cuisine, several pots of fruit drinks and alcohol, accompanied by idle chat as they sat together passing time.
After properly storing the completed Kido book, with the predecessors' experiences in hand, Suoh had gained an even deeper understanding of Kido.
Thus his desire to grow stronger naturally blazed even more fiercely like wildfire meeting wind.
From the moment he'd awakened until now, in less than three years, his level in zanjutsu, hakuda, hoho, and kido had already surpassed the vast majority of Shinigami.
This leaps-and-bounds progress level was sufficient to be called astoundingly talented.
Of course, he understood he still couldn't compare with certain pure stat monsters. Though his strength appeared immature, it was already passable.
Only deep in his heart, Suoh still wasn't satisfied. He wanted to grow stronger faster, awaken Shikai, awaken Bankai.
He knew clearly that compared to those potential adversaries with deep accumulations from thousands of years ago, he still fell terribly, terribly short.
Unrealistic fantasies brought Suoh no particular urgency or pressure—just active thoughts flying about.
Staying grounded in training was most crucial.
Casting aside idle thoughts, Suoh fell into deep sleep.
The next morning.
Following his routine after two meals, work time arrived.
Suoh arrived at the duty office door carrying a bag of snacks. Opening the door, he immediately saw Kotetsu Kiyone standing in the room's center with a small pack on her back.
Kotetsu Kiyone also noticed Suoh's arrival, turned with a smile, and said.
"Tsukasa, I'm stationed in the World of the Living for a month starting today. Is there anything you need me to bring back?"
"Bring me back a handheld console, please!"
Suoh placed the snacks on the table, opened the drawer at his duty position, retrieved a color magazine, and flipped to the back page's advertisement to display before her.
As a modern person, he was the Thirteenth Division's most adept at enjoying technology's conveniences, always keeping abreast of both worlds' publicly available cutting-edge technological information.
Souvenirs from the World of the Living had become a popular trend in the Gotei 13 these past few years.
Under Suoh's influence and promotion, the Thirteenth Division had developed a custom of helping friends purchase World of the Living goods.
The Department of Research and Development had equipment to convert matter into spirit particles.
To enrich project research funding, people from other divisions only needed to follow regulations, file reports, and pay a considerable fee to bring World of the Living items back to Soul Society.
However, the categories carried each time had restrictions, and quantity and size were also limited.
From what Suoh knew, cosmetics and romance novels were very popular among female Shinigami. He'd seen related products and books more than once in the shopping district and division library.
The World of the Living's advanced, open atmosphere had ultimately leaked bit by bit through the Dangai's cracks into the stuffy, closed Soul Society.
"A handheld console!?"
"Someone as training-obsessed as you actually likes these things?"
Kotetsu Kiyone carefully read through the magazine advertisement page's text description. Seeing the word "game," she roughly understood this thing's purpose.
She just hadn't expected the combat-and-training-obsessed Suoh to have this childish side, asking puzzled.
"What is it?"
"What's going on?"
Others in the room seeing excitement gathered over, their gazes unanimously falling on Suoh.
"Nothing much, just a little toy for fun. Training also requires balancing work and rest."
"The magazine description sounded quite novel, so I wanted one."
Suoh faced everyone's gazes with his usual expression, answering perfectly seriously.
The world of training was certainly exciting, but also genuinely boring.
Even though this generation's handheld consoles had very basic functions, they still counted as rarely seen entertainment.
In terms of mental priority, "entertainment" currently ranked only below "training" and "food" in Suoh's heart.
Others had long grown accustomed to Suoh's unique enthusiasm for World of the Living things, and withdrew their gazes.
"Alright, I've got it memorized."
Committing the item's appearance and purchase location on the color page to memory, Kotetsu Kiyone nodded seriously.
She could feel Suoh's degree of anticipation for the thing on the page.
After bidding farewell to everyone in the duty office, Kotetsu Kiyone set out on her journey.
Suoh also began his clerical duty work. When he had no expedition missions, this was his ordinary routine.
Time passed. Evening arrived, the sun setting westward.
After completing the day's duties, Suoh returned to his quarters, shouldered a pack, and came outside the barracks gate.
His form turned into a narrow, deserted alley beside the barracks. His figure flashed and disappeared from the spot.
He traversed between building shadows at maximum shunpo speed, rapidly moving southward toward the Seireitei's central area.
The Seireitei's unchanging white walls flowed past at his sides.
Tap—His footsteps contacted the ground with a soft sound. The pitch-black figure appeared again. Suoh had stopped beneath a high hill in a dense forest.
The flowing foliage between tree canopies merged with the setting sun into golden-green ripples.
Suoh standing in the forest raised his head toward the high hill. A massive execution stand and a long spear piercing the clouds stood majestically at the cliff's edge.
This was it!
Sōkyoku Hill—that was this location's name.
Not only was this place rarely visited, but the Sōkyoku spear on the platform, though unreleased, naturally emanated magnificent spiritual power like a natural barrier that could perfectly conceal spiritual power fluctuations produced during nearby training.
After waking this morning, the thoughts churning in Suoh's head had cleared completely.
Thinking calmly in that clear moment, countless memory images were summoned, spreading silently across his mind.
The outlines in memory now completely overlapped with the scene before his eyes.
With no thought of checking in at this famous original story location, Suoh's gaze rapidly traveled across the rock walls on both sides of Sōkyoku Hill.
Searching for that hidden entrance from memory.
Before long.
Suoh's gaze was drawn to a tiny protrusion on the hill's left side.
Without relying on memory, it would be extremely difficult to detect.
His form flashed. The next moment, Suoh stood atop the rock outcropping.
"Found it!"
Looking at the aged wooden door half-concealed behind gnarled cliff trees, its wood almost fused with the mountain rock, he revealed a delighted smile.
The latticed wooden door's surface was covered with traces eroded by time. Through the interlaced gaps, one could vaguely see the dim scene inside.
Suoh pulled open the wooden door with his hand.
Fine rock and soil sprinkled down from the doorframe.
Entering through the door, he closed it behind him.
Borrowing the evening light penetrating through gaps, the space of several meters became visible at a glance.
A worn tatami mat with yellowed edges spread across the floor's center. White cloth-covered furnishings stood in corners. Burned-out candles still rested in wall indentations, sketching traces of predecessors living here.
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