Chapter 173: The [Future Arc] in the Past and the [Past Arc] in the Future
For Ichigo Kurosaki, glimpsing such future possibilities was a matter of great pleasure. It meant that one day, he would have at least two opponents "intense" enough to fight to his heart's content. One of them was even an "old rival" he desperately wanted to fight again.
God had descended into the mortal realm using the name and spirit of the Soul King, leading Ichigo onto his path. Ichigo had repaid that favor with his fists, giving God a thorough thrashing during the preliminary rounds of the King of Fighters tournament!
At the time, Ichigo was satisfied with his battle against the Fighting Soul King (God's avatar). However, after the Battle of Genesis, he felt a twinge of regret. Back then, he had only reached the 99% Absolute Domain. The gap between 99% and 100% looked like a mere 1%, but it was actually the difference between heaven and earth. Furthermore, had the Fighting Soul King ever truly revealed His ultimate power?
The Soul King was the first physical entity of power birthed by heaven and earth, possessing power comparable to 100% Absolute Domain from birth—though that power leaned more toward authority than raw combat. Regardless, that battle where neither side had reached their peak was a legendary swan song. The Fighting Soul King had been beaten so thoroughly in the Battle of Genesis that He birthed the universe and evolved into all things, never to return.
God still existed, but that was meaningless. According to other Soul Kings who had "auditioned" before God, He existed in a higher, unfathomable dimension. Though He watched them and communicated, they couldn't touch Him—they couldn't even detect Him.
Ichigo found this regrettable and had been wondering how to chat with God and convince Him to descend for a rematch. He didn't expect the wish to be granted so quickly. The avatar of God under the name Moriarty looked like a sufficiently intense opponent.
Ichigo's lips curled into a smile. He was now a 100% supporter of God's film career. If God wanted to film at a third location, Ichigo would be the first to sign up—no pay required, he'd bring his own rations. To be able to repeatedly beat up God, and a different version of Him every time? That was triple bliss!
While Ichigo was lost in these fantasies, a misty voice suddenly rang in his ear:
"Ichigo, you rebellious son... one beating wasn't enough? You actually want to strike the Holy Father three times? I've never seen such an unfilial 'Son of God.' One day, I'll go back and rewrite the Heavenly Media Corporate Bible specifically to charge you with the crime of being unfilial..."
Ichigo snapped back to reality. He looked closely and realized the playful voice wasn't coming from the sky, but from the reflection of a future possibility. The blood-shining Giant was speaking to him across time and space!
Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Lord God, you can actually speak to me through an avatar that only appears in the distant future? That's an interesting trick..."
Prying into future possibilities wasn't a complex divine power. When an ordinary person daydreams about what they'll do in ten years, they are prying into a future possibility. The difference is that for ordinary people, that possibility is a dream-bubble, light-years away from reality.
Past is the accumulation of fixed causes and effects; Future is the collapse of change and constants. Ichigo's method was different: his Purity Radar scanned the timeline. As long as someone was "strong," whether in the past or future, he could sense them.
Ichigo could do more with the past. Since the past was set, he could use his battle-will to trace back eons and clash with the "imprints" of ancient experts. But he couldn't change the past—just interact with the karmic shadows.
For the future, he was limited. He could sense the birth of legendary powerhouses and offer protection or guidance to help them grow toward that potential. He couldn't be 100% sure, though. Future possibilities shifted. For instance, he saw a future where Hinamori became an Undying Blood-Phoenix War-God, but also a future where she became the second Super Mad Scientist after Mayuri Kurotsuchi. (In that scientist future, he saw a super-cyborg cultivated from Aizen's genes that was incredibly intense.)
So, seeing the future possibility "come alive" through God's power was startling.
The Blood-Giant in the future potential, while brawling with two other giants, took a moment to say:
"It's no big deal. The timeline of this world is messier than you think. Future and past are blurred. If they weren't, how could there be fifty Christmas Days in a single year? I exist in the distant future, but since I exist as part of this broken timeline, I can walk in the past and present..."
"Think of this world as a manga that ignores chronological order. The protagonist talks to someone in this chapter; the next chapter is a flashback to that person's parents before they married. The scenes look different, but they are macroscopically continuous. The future is birthed before the past; the effect precedes the cause..."
"In that case," Ichigo's smile turned savage, "isn't time travel easy? Wait for me, God. I'm coming to the future to beat—I mean, chat with you!"
"Wipe that beast-like grin off your face, Ichigo. Don't forget you're still standing on my palm. Believe it or not, I'll close my hand and let you swim through the Silver Sea back to the Soul Society..."
Ichigo sighed. When God's Hand carried him from the Soul Reaper bubble to the Conan bubble, he encountered a double standard. God's authority allowed Him to enter and exit worlds without a ripple, but the world rejected Ichigo with violent repulsion.
Though Ichigo could punch his way through the barrier, the world's reaction would be unpredictable and might interfere with God's plan to refine this world into "armor" for the Ark. Thus, he had taken the "soft" route: getting an "invite" from the protagonist, Conan. Even then, the invite only covered "one arm," which Ichigo found quite stingy.
He was still technically floating in the Silver Sea outside the world, sustained by God's protection. He shrugged and wiped the grin off his face.
The Blood-Giant continued: "Even if you want to come over, it's not that simple. This future exists because Conan has begun to unconsciously interfere with destiny. He has a plan, so the [Future Arc] was born. I, as a character in that arc, can talk to you in the [Past Arc]. You haven't truly become part of Conan's plan yet, nor are you a formal character of the Future Arc. Getting over here won't be easy..."
Ichigo blinked. Even under his watch, Conan's protagonist-power was working silently.
"Ichigo, instead of trying to hit your old man, watch Conan. You've mastered your protagonist status, but Conan's 'Protagonist Level' is actually higher than yours. He just hasn't awakened yet. If you're careless, you'll lose pathetically. For example: under Conan's destiny-interference, a random Beika citizen might suffocate you in an alley with a plastic bag. You wouldn't want the Leader of the Alien Invasion Fleet to die such a ridiculous death, would you?"
Ichigo stroked his chin. "Conan being stronger is fine. But honestly, if his power can make a regular citizen kill me with a plastic bag, I'd say this trip was worth it just to experience something that absurd!"
"Enough talk," God said. "You should understand this world now. Conan is brewing a grand plan. From my seat in the Future Arc, I see it clearly. The 'Light Demon' I'm fighting is a chatterbox; He spouted everything. Conan is trying to travel back to the Past to change everything at the source."
Ichigo's interest piqued. "Time travel to the past to fix his own origins? Truly a status above mine. Bold. Why didn't I think of punching the timeline to replace the Soul King and rewrite everything myself? But... can he do it?"
Ichigo didn't doubt Conan could find a way—protagonists make the impossible possible. He doubted if it would work. The timeline was a mess; adding a "Past Arc" felt like just adding another page to a jumbled manga.
"It won't solve the root problem," God replied, "but it might improve things. Conan's thought has already triggered unpredicted shifts. To you, the world might split into three futures: Detective Conan, Criminal Moriarty, and Sword-Brave Yaiba. But that's a surface observation. In the Future Arc, I see many more. I see Lupin III vs. Kaito Kid atop Tokyo Tower in a 'Thief-Supreme' world. I see worlds centered on lawyers or police..."
"Whether Conan succeeds is one thing. But if he abdicates, the world cannot be without a master. The supporting cast will rise to fight for the supreme status, forcing their 'Art Style' to become the mainstream. It's a split, an evolution, and a destruction. Conan's plan is like an axe: if he swings it well, we witness the evolution of the Conan World into the Conan Universe. If he swings it poorly, the future is going to be very noisy..."
Ichigo listened intently. He was here for the migration of the Soul Reaper world. "That sounds like... good news!"
If Conan abdicated and Ichigo inherited his status, the migration would be seamless. He looked at the "Sword-Brave Yaiba" future—where aliens, gods, and demons flew everywhere. That was the reflection of the Soul Reaper migration. Ichigo, the true protagonist, would find a kendo-loving kid, give him a modified Zanpakutō, grant him "Temporary Protagonist" status, and set a destiny in motion. Then, the Soul Reaper beings would arrive as "Aliens" or "Gods" to spar with the kid, earn the world's "acknowledgment," and integrate into the world.
"I won't restrict your script too much," God said. "If that's your preferred method of invasion, go for it. I have my own role as Moriarty. If we have to fight, keep it at 100% Absolute Domain. Ultimate power is strictly forbidden—I don't want to use a leaky world as my Ark's deck..."
The Blood-Giant waved a hand and blocked Ichigo's vision, ending the call.
Ichigo pouted. He knew why God blocked him. To God, the fight between the Giants in the future was "intense" enough that He wanted to enjoy it alone without Ichigo interfering.
Whatever. One day, Ichigo would hit everything with his own hands. For now, he'd endure.
He turned his gaze back to Conan. The boy's long contemplation had ended. He looked exhausted, weathered, and despairing—but his eyes were as hard as ice, filled with unyielding resolve.
Ichigo bounced over as a ball. "Finished thinking? Plan made? Are we going to find a time machine and change the past? Let's go! I'll accompany you to the past for a stroll!"
Conan looked at Ichigo, his face a mask of shock and bewilderment.
How does he know my plan better than I do?!
End of Chapter
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