Chapter 121: The Ineffective Omniscience and Omnipotence

“Side effects to this shortcut?” Yamabuki Haruto asked, eyeing the Soul King warily.

“None. Only benefits,” the Soul King said calmly. “See the box beside me? Open it.”

Haruto spotted a small, unlocked box near the amber-encased Soul King. Inside pulsed a grotesque piece of flesh.

“What the hell?” Haruto muttered, grimacing.

“My flesh,” the Soul King said. “Absorb it, and your Reishi will surge without drawbacks—the only way to survive the coming war.”

Haruto stared, dumbfounded. Eat your flesh? As the Three Realms’ linchpin, even a fragment of the Soul King’s body granted immense power. Fullbringers, born with such fragments, awakened unique abilities but suffered—hunted by Hollows in the womb and Shinigami later. This chunk could transform Haruto’s hybrid Shinigami-Hollow-Quincy powers—Reversal, Silver Angel’s Shikai, Vollständig: Silver Angel’s four-winged might, Hierro, Blut Vene, and regeneration. But no catch?

The Soul King, sensing doubt, spoke gently. “I won’t force you. Choose freely. Without it, the war…”

Haruto’s mind raced. No free lunch. “How long until this war?” he asked.

“Six months,” the Soul King replied.

“Any other way?” Haruto pressed. Silence confirmed none.

To rival Yhwach’s Almighty, Haruto needed Yamamoto’s Bankai-level power—Zanka no Tachi. His current strength, barely matching Ryūjin Jakka’s Shikai in Vollständig, was child’s play against Yamamoto’s Bankai. Six months wasn’t enough.

He thought of Unohana, living with him, their bond deepening; of Hachiuma Chiyo, the cunning loli at his clothing store; of friends like Tsunayashiro Fuka and Shihōin Chihiro. Life was good, unpaid or not. I don’t want to die. Haruto gripped the flesh, using his Quincy Reishi absorption. It melted into his soul.

A torrential Reiatsu erupted, shaking the chamber. The flesh’s power fused, not assimilating him but amplifying his Shinigami core. His Reiatsu soared—now, without Vollständig, he could match Yamamoto’s Shikai. This is the Soul King’s power? Just a fragment? Yhwach, devouring the entire Soul King in a thousand years, would be monstrous.

“Your constitution mirrors mine,” the Soul King said. He’d meant to reshape Haruto but found him absorbing the power naturally, converting it into raw Reiatsu.

Haruto felt his soul transform. With Vollständig: Silver Angel now, could he face Zanka no Tachi? “You said no other way,” he noted. “But earlier—”

“Oh, yes,” the Soul King interrupted, unhurried. “Master Bankai in six months, and you might survive Yhwach.”

Haruto choked. Spit it out? Too late. “You’re messing with me! I could cut you down!” he snapped, hand on Reversal, Silver Angel. “No defense stops my blade!”

“I’d welcome it,” the Soul King said, amused. “A million years is long enough. Kill me, and I’d be thrilled—though the Three Realms collapse. You’ve got my flesh now; maybe you’re fit for this throne. Ichibei and Ōetsu are outside. Think you can take them?”

Haruto’s face paled. He’s trying to retire and stick me here. The Soul King’s glee was palpable, savoring a million-year-first.

“Hmph,” Haruto snorted, sheathing his blade. I won’t be a human pillar. “I’m done. You’re sleeping soon, right?”

“Soon,” the Soul King said, eyes closing. “I’ll awaken in centuries, maybe millennia.”

“Wait!” Haruto said. “One last thing—when do I get paid?”

The Soul King humored him, activating Omniscience and Omnipotence. His expression shifted. “It’s… malfunctioning. I can’t see that far.”

Haruto’s jaw dropped. “No way!” A million years without pay? “You’re joking! I work hard—sometimes! Why no salary?”

“Sleep now,” the Soul King said, sinking into slumber.

“Hey, wake up!” Haruto tapped the cocoon. “Check again! Did you miss it, or am I broke forever?”