The things both feared were, in fact, the same.
Though Sinners were said to be immortal and indestructible, this came with significant limitations.
They could only maintain this immortal and indestructible state within Hell.
Once outside, if they died, it would be true death, with no room for recovery.
Hell would never dare to release them and let Yoriichi slaughter them.
Killing one or two might be acceptable, but what if ten, or a hundred were killed?
The stability of Hell was built upon the Sinners.
If the Sinners were nearly wiped out, Hell truly could not bear such a heavy price.
Facts proved that the noble man had, after all, worried too much.
Until Yoriichi arrived outside the Hell Gate's main body, Hell made no move.
Yoriichi gazed at the tall, grotesque Hell Gate before him.
Beside the gate, some Shinigami were desperately releasing reishi, their faces solemn, fine beads of sweat trickling down their foreheads.
However, no matter how much reishi was injected, the Hell Gate remained motionless, like an unshakeable mountain.
Seeing this, Yoriichi steadily walked forward.
At the same time, perhaps sensing Yoriichi's arrival, the gate suddenly trembled violently, emitting a thunderous roar.
"It's moving, it's moving!" The Shinigami beside the gate mistakenly thought their efforts had caused the Hell Gate to stir, and they shouted in unison.
Excitement appeared on their faces, and they cheered up, trying to increase their control, but alas, it was entirely an illusion.
Yoriichi keenly noticed his Zanpakuto at his waist also emitting a slight tremor.
The blade touched the sheath, and a faint click followed, like a chain reaction.
He reached out and gently gripped his Zanpakuto.
The next second, the trembling of both instantly stopped.
Yoriichi turned around and asked the noble man behind him:
"Has this ever happened before? Do you only use pure reishi to control the Hell Gate?"
'Otherwise?' The noble man muttered to himself, as if his clan held the key.
Although the Hell Gate was a gate, it had no key, and no key meant weak control.
In the past, reishi was used to seal it, and it was only opened occasionally when needed.
Even when opened, it wouldn't remain so for too long, because over time, Hell's reishi would escape and pollute the Soul Society's air.
They had expected this time to be like before, but they didn't anticipate that once opened, it couldn't be closed.
Even if, for some unknown reason, it wasn't emitting reishi, this situation still gave them a huge headache.
So much so that they brought Yoriichi Tsugikuni here.
Sighing inwardly, the noble man added:
"Both the Hell Gate and Hell existed before the Three Realms were born."
"At that time, they were unrestrained, so there was naturally no need to leave behind devices to control them."
"Our clan once researched this matter, but the result was nothing; Hell cannot be controlled."
"Even the Soul King could not make any intervention, only separating Hell from the Three Realms."
He sighed, then changed the subject, "Let's not talk about this. What exactly are you going to do?"
"Personally, I don't think you can close it. If I'm not mistaken, your Zanpakuto can only summon Hell and imprison Sinners."
"We have used force, but the Hell Gate's main body is indestructible."
"Even if cracks appear, they heal instantly."
"At the same time, it cannot be truly destroyed. If destroyed, a large number of Sinners will escape from Hell, and then the Three Realms will be annihilated."
"Because the Sinners imprisoned since ancient times are countless."
"This is also why I advise against using force."
...
These words were indeed correct.
However, Yoriichi had never had such an idea.
In his view, force should only be resorted to when absolutely necessary.
Killing Hell's Intent and attacking the Hell Gate were two vastly different actions.
The former meant a challenge to Hell; if victorious, respect would surely be earned.
But the latter was an open provocation to Hell; once victorious, both sides would inevitably fall into an unending conflict.
This was like a person challenging a dojo, not only provoking but also smashing the owner's main gate to pieces.
Who wouldn't be furious?
Yoriichi fell into thought. After a moment, he did not answer the other's question.
He simply walked quietly forward.
Just then, the Zanpakuto trembled violently again.
This time, Yoriichi did not stop it.
Just two seconds later, the Zanpakuto released itself, its black blade instantly tinged with a reddish hue.
At the same time, Yoriichi clearly felt the emotions transmitted from Hell's Intent.
It was anger, confusion, and a hint of resentment.
Like a petty person full of pent-up anger, suddenly exhaling sharply from their nostrils, their face full of displeasure and indignation.
This scene was fully observed by the noble man behind him.
His face instantly showed a ghost-like expression.
No... what happened?
How did your Zanpakuto release?
Yoriichi Tsugikuni didn't even make any move.
His hand wasn't even on it.
Hell?
He suddenly remembered something and looked up ahead.
Sure enough, the moment the Zanpakuto entered Shikai, the previously trembling Hell Gate's vibration abruptly ceased.
As if there was some extremely close connection between Yoriichi Tsugikuni's Zanpakuto and the Hell Gate.
This isn't right!
A drop of cold sweat quietly appeared on the man's forehead.
This was the main body of the Hell Gate, not a projection of the Hell Gate.
Why could his blade communicate even with the main body?
Originally, after discussion, they believed that the Zanpakuto held by Yoriichi Tsugikuni was likely a part of Hell Gate's power, a mere fraction.
It only had the authority to summon projections, like a fragment of the Soul King.
While a Shinigami possessing a fragment of the Soul King could gain a portion of the Soul King's power, it was ultimately not the Soul King himself.
But now?
The fragment had transformed into the main body?
A huge miscalculation!
His eyes seemed to see shadows, and his lips trembled uncontrollably, as if all blood had instantly drained from them.
He dared not think any further.
Yoriichi walked ahead, completely unaware of the man's thoughts.
Even if he knew, he wouldn't care.
After all, what the Zanpakuto represented was already destined at the very beginning of its awakening.
Running away solves no problems, and denial even less so.
Hell's Intent surged in waves, like constantly incoming messages, causing Yoriichi's thoughts to slightly wander.
Upon standing before the Hell Gate, he stopped.
Facing Hell's questions and requests for people, he decisively refused.
In response, Hell's Intent flew into a rage.
The Hell Gate trembled violently again.
A chain along with a sharp blade swiftly emerged from within.
This sudden change startled the surrounding Shinigami.
But then, Hell's Intent seemed to remember something, and resentfully reined in these emotions.
It began to ask Yoriichi what needed to be done for both sides to be satisfied.
It knew it couldn't afford to fight, but to simply give up was absolutely impossible.
...
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Perhaps to create a sense of urgency, wisps of reishi slowly emanated from the Hell Gate.
Yoriichi shook his head slightly at this sight.
So impatient already?
It was just three Captains after all.
Of course, it might also be related to those Hell's Intent.
But this was an inherent flaw of Hell itself, and had nothing to do with him.
They feared death, nothing more.
Yoriichi gently exhaled, his expression still normal.
However, the sudden changes brought about by the Hell Gate in a short time instilled fear in the surrounding Shinigami and the noble man.
They had no idea what was happening; the Hell Gate trembled at times, then calmed, as if Hell itself was enraged.
Damn it...
Hell, which had remained unchanged for millions of years, couldn't possibly be experiencing an accident today, could it?
They had no confidence whatsoever to resist those Sinners!
For a moment, the surrounding air seemed to drop several degrees, like falling into a winter night, so quiet that only everyone's breathing could be heard.
Although Yoriichi made no move, simply standing silently before the Hell Gate, looking up in thought.
Yet among those present, there was one person who deeply believed these changes were related to him.
But that person did not point it out, merely gazing at Yoriichi with trembling eyes, for he knew that even pointing it out would be useless.
There was no evidence to prove these were Yoriichi's actions, nor any means to restrain Hell.
If Hell refused to close its gate and Yoriichi was forced away, then their clan might become the greatest sinners in Soul Society's history.
And the root cause of all this stemmed from their clan's ridiculous pride...
Hoo...
He lightly exhaled. Unbeknownst to him, his negative emotions towards Yoriichi had already dissipated, as the situation was already out of control.
Whatever happened afterwards, for now, closing the Hell Gate was the top priority; if it couldn't be closed, everyone would be finished.
...
"You are Hell's Intent?"
Yoriichi questioned the ethereal figure in his line of sight.
He wasn't sure what Hell's Intent truly looked like.
But the guy in front of him was probably communicating with him through his Zanpakuto.
Even without opening their mouths, voices could be transmitted between their souls.
Behind the ethereal figure were several Hell's Intent.
A golden halo stained the white bones, making them appear quite serene, as if they possessed a certain level of wisdom.
A sense of déjà vu subtly arose in Yoriichi's heart.
Before he could pinpoint the source of this déjà vu, the figure slowly spoke.
Though no sound was emitted, the meaning directly poured into his mind.
It questioned Yoriichi, asking why he would stand against it, despite having mastered the power of Hell.
After all, the two were intertwined in a relationship of co-existence and co-destruction.
"The power of Hell?"
These words immediately made Yoriichi recall something.
During his Bankai, the bone armor on his body was extremely similar to the golden Hell's Intent before him.
The white Hell's Intent was not to be feared.
But the golden one…
As Yoriichi fell into thought, the figure continued to speak.
It stated that it could take a step back.
Although it didn't know how Yoriichi Tsugikuni managed to acquire its power through his Zanpakuto, the situation was already a foregone conclusion.
Further conflict would only result in mutual destruction.
Therefore, the three Captains could remain in Soul Society.
However, in return, Hell was currently in chaos.
As the inheritor of its power, Yoriichi Tsugikuni naturally had to contribute to it.
This meaning was extremely clear.
Yoriichi slightly raised his gaze:
"You want me to manage Hell?"
…
This matter came quite suddenly.
Previously, Hell's attitude had always been one of absolute uncompromising.
But who would have thought that now, not only had it compromised, but it was even willing to hand over the management rights of Hell to him?
Was this truly because it didn't want a mutually destructive outcome? Or was there some other reason?
Of course, regardless of the reason, Yoriichi felt no aversion to it whatsoever.
After all, managing Hell was a problem that all Shinigami had failed to solve over millions of years.
The existence of Hell was like the law of entropy.
No matter how hard the Shinigami tried to manage the Three Realms, the Three Realms would one day face destruction, ushering in the despair of "heat death."
This period might be extremely long, long enough to be calculated in millions of years, but no matter how long it was, that day would always arrive.
While mastering Hell couldn't completely reverse the increase of "entropy," if it could be slightly restricted, that would still be a good thing.
Moreover, his Zanpakuto possessed the ability to purify Hell's reishi…
Previously, Yoriichi didn't know where this ability came from, but now, he finally understood that this ability came from Hell.
Just like finding an antidote within five steps when encountering a venomous snake, the ability to suppress Hell's expansion, if it existed, should exist within Hell itself.
Now that he had obtained this ability, what remained was the control over Hell.
After all, Hell would absolutely not agree to something like reversing life and death.
Now that Hell was actively offering control, perhaps it was also thinking of a counterbalance.
If its words were true, it meant that only with Hell's existence could his ability function.
Rather than fighting to the death and benefiting others, it was better to jointly manage the Three Realms and Hell.
From Hell's Intent's perspective, this should be an acceptable outcome for both parties, and also the greatest concession it could make.
In response, Yoriichi nodded slightly, indicating his approval.
After gaining complete control over the Hell Gate, his consciousness returned the next second.
The illusory figure in front of him, along with the Hell's Intent, vanished in the blink of an eye, and the trembling of the Hell Gate gradually subsided.
The dense reishi around him was absorbed into the Hell Gate as if swallowed by a giant whale, and once the air became clear again, Yoriichi slowly drew his Zanpakuto.
Boom!
The Hell Gate seemed to receive a silent command and slammed shut with a deafening roar that made the ground tremble three times.
Under the shocked and surprised gazes of everyone, Yoriichi slightly turned and was about to leave.
However, at this moment, someone called out to him: "Stop!"
It was the Shinigami responsible for sealing and guarding the Hell Gate.
They had never expected that a problem they couldn't solve would be effortlessly handled by someone else…
Although they didn't know what had just happened, it was clear that there was a close relationship between that sword and the Hell Gate.
To control Hell, he absolutely could not be allowed to leave, even if he was a Captain.
Yoriichi slowly turned around and asked, "Is there something you need?"
A leading Shinigami suddenly stepped forward and shouted loudly, "You can't leave! If I wasn't mistaken just now, your sword can control the Hell Gate, right?!"
"Hand over…"
Before he could finish his sentence, the noble man's face turned as black as if he had eaten dog feces as he walked over to the Shinigami.
He slapped him hard: "Shut up!"
"What kind of attitude is that?! How dare you speak to our guest like that?!"
Is this guy an idiot?
You know he can control the Hell Gate, and you're still shouting at him like that in front of him…
Aren't you afraid he'll do it again and drag you in?
Even if they were to act, it should be done discreetly, and given Yoriichi Tsugikuni's strength, even if all the nobles combined their power, the probability of victory was unknown.
After all, the title of the strongest Shinigami was acknowledged even by Yamamoto Genryusai.
Coupled with the deterrence of Hell, unless they acted when he had just become a Shinigami, they wouldn't have any chance of winning.
In other words, this was an act of suicide.
Therefore, this sudden slap, which seemed inexplicable to others, was perfectly reasonable in his eyes.
If not you, then who?
Hiss… It actually stung a bit.
But fortunately, he interrupted that guy's words in advance, saving himself from being implicated.
The noble man secretly thought, then he quickly turned and sincerely apologized to Yoriichi Tsugikuni:
"I am truly sorry, Captain Tsugikuni, this young man might have eaten poisonous mushrooms at noon and his mind is a bit unclear, which is why he said such impolite words."
"He didn't mean anything by it. I will educate him well from now on. If there's nothing else…"
"Please, go ahead."
"…" Yoriichi Tsugikuni fell silent.
Anyone could see what had just happened in the scene before them.
That Shinigami wanted his Zanpakuto.
It seemed he was used to being arrogant and overbearing; after all, as a noble, it was inevitable to have some haughtiness.
However, since the other party had already said so, he wasn't the type to be unforgiving when he had the upper hand, so he would let them be.
Yoriichi turned and left without hesitation, not taking the small incident to heart at all.
Indeed, there were far more than just this one person coveting his Zanpakuto.
However, with such a huge disparity in strength between the two sides, even the deepest covetousness would ultimately be futile.
At present, Yoriichi knew that the most urgent task was to discuss a practical and feasible method for managing Hell.
So many experts and powerhouses absolutely could not be placed in the same location again, to prevent incidents like Sinners escaping from happening again.
…
…
When Yoriichi Tsugikuni returned and slowly recounted his experience, Yamamoto Genryusai was once again deeply shocked.
He had never expected that in the time it took Yoriichi Tsugikuni to simply close a door, Yoriichi would transform into the de facto ruler of Hell.
No… Is your luck a little too good?
Was the control of Hell just handed over so casually?
Before this, they dared not rashly purify the reishi to revive the First Generation Captains, precisely because they feared incurring Hell's wrath.
But now that Yoriichi Tsugikuni had become the ruler of Hell, the situation was vastly different.
Admittedly, reviving too many people would affect Hell's order, and some people might not even wish to be revived, but there were always those who yearned for rebirth.
Reviving one or two wasn't a big deal; at most, they could set a limit of two to three people within a century.
Calculating by Yoriichi Tsugikuni's current lifespan, how many people could be revived by the time his life ended?
Thinking of this, even Yamamoto Genryusai, who had weathered countless storms, found it difficult to calm the turmoil in his heart.
This was simply too unreasonable.
But, he liked it.
Because it would make the future of the Shinigami even more brilliant.
At the same time, a century later, it would provide an additional safeguard when confronting Yhwach.
At this moment, Yamamoto Genryusai looked at Yoriichi Tsugikuni with a complex expression.
Perhaps the most correct thing he had ever done in his life was to take him as a disciple.
No, perhaps he was the one who was reaching too high, after all…
Yamamoto Genryusai sighed heavily, his heart filled with emotion.