In the beginning, God created a realm within chaos:
Above was Heaven, below was Hell, and between them lay the Human World.
Seeing the world shrouded in darkness, God transformed into Light and Reishi, and from that moment on… grass, trees, and all living beings came into existence.
God's son, Kazama Tenshi, took over the governance of heaven and earth in God's stead, dwelling eternally in Heaven to maintain the stability of the world.
Because he called himself the Soul King, the place where he resided came to be known as the Soul King Palace.
In due time, the Soul King fathered three sons:
Kazama Gōen, the eldest, endowed with the power of Plunder
Kazama Meguru, the second, endowed with the power of Bestowal
Kazama Mamoru, the third, endowed with the power of Protection
Because Plunder and Bestowal stood in opposition, in the 9,999th year after the world's creation, Kazama Gōen took advantage of the Soul King's slumber and brutally murdered Kazama Meguru, seizing the power of Bestowal for himself.
To avenge his brother, the third son Kazama Mamoru fought Gōen in Heaven for a thousand years. In the end, he exhausted his strength and perished, his soul falling from Heaven into the Human World, where it vanished without a trace.
Not long after, the Soul King awoke. Upon discovering that both Heaven and the Human World had suffered catastrophic damage and that creation was on the brink of returning to chaos, he was filled with wrath and stripped Kazama Gōen of his power of Plunder.
At the same time, the Soul King personally severed Gōen's sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste, then banished him to the Human World, where he endured 500 years of wind, 500 years of scorching sun, and 500 years of relentless rain.
Yet, due to the power of Bestowal, Kazama Gōen gradually recovered by using a method called "Soul Distribution"—first granting power to others, then devouring their souls.
Moreover, the humans who had been healed through his "Bestowal" slowly began to worship him as a god, reverently calling him Yhwach.
From then on, in order to distinguish themselves from ordinary humans, these followers—whom Yhwach regarded as his descendants—called themselves Quincies, devoting their lives to exterminating Hollows.
However, because their power originated from Yhwach's Bestowal, they could not generate Reishi from their own souls. Instead, they were forced to draw Reishi from the surrounding environment to fight.
Even children born from the union of two so-called pure-blooded Quincies merely inherited or reassembled the portion of power that had once been bestowed upon their parents.
Upon death, that power would inevitably return to Yhwach.
...
The Birth of Hell and Hueco Mundo
Around ten thousand years ago, the Soul King's second son, Kazama Meguru, murdered by his own brother, saw his soul turn from love to hatred, plunging into the dark side of creation—later known as Hell.
As a son of the Soul King and the first "fallen" Vasto Lorde in existence, Meguru's soul was eroded by Hell's darkness, leading him to believe that all suffering was God's fault.
Seeking revenge, he tookthe name Baraggan Louisenbairn and carved out Hueco Mundo on the outskirts of Hell, luring vast numbers of human souls and forcing them to fall and become Hollows.
When the Soul King awoke once more and realized that the world was spiraling toward destruction due to massive loss of life, he sacrificed both of his arms to restore order to creation.
At the same time, at the cost of his heart, he created Soul Society beyond the Human World and Hueco Mundo, appointing Kazama Mamoru as the first "Divine Envoy" (Shinigami).
Through the purification of Hollows and their return to the cycle of rebirth, balance of Reishi within the world was maintained.
Furthermore, to prevent the repaired world from once again being ravaged by uncontrolled plundering of Reishi, the Soul King separated his left leg, transforming it into the Dangai, isolating Hueco Mundo, the Human World, and Soul Society from one another.
His right leg became the Gate of Hell and Hell's Will itself, sealing Hell away in the outer chaos, beyond the three realms—
a place only those guilty of the greatest sins could ever enter.
...
The Law of Light
As the saying goes: "As long as the Light endures, Hell shall not emerge."
So long as the Soul King—who dwells in Heaven—remains alive, creation itself will not collapse.
This is because the world was originally pure chaos. Since the Soul King replaced God as Light, he has sustained the balance of all realms with his very existence.
Should that Light ever be destroyed, Hell would surge forth once more, shrouded in darkness, annihilating the Human World—
and Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, as derivative realms, would naturally cease to exist as well.
...
The Age of Bleach
Time passed, year after year.
The deeds of God faded into obscurity.
The Quincies, having suffered a devastating defeat a thousand years earlier, declined completely. Their leader, Yhwach, vanished after being gravely wounded by the Shinigami Genryūsai Yamamoto.
Meanwhile, under the influence of the Shinigami, Hueco Mundo, the Human World, and Soul Society maintained a relatively stable balance—
occasional skirmishes, a few ordinary Shinigami or low-level Hollows dying, and then matters quietly fading away.
This peaceful equilibrium continued…
Until one night, a man named Kurosaki Ichigo suddenly appeared in Karakura Town.
And thus, the story of Bleach began.
All the darkness and evil hidden behind this world would soon stir—
drawn forth by his existence.
So, please stay tuned.