Chapter 304: R
(Ryoto's pov)
I opened my eyes only to see my inner world, although it slightly differed from what I remembered. For one, the sky was cracking like the world was ending. The last thing I recall before getting here was talking with Soi Fon as my strength slowly failed me.
I'm dying.
There's no other way around, and it's probably for good this time. I don't count on waking up in my bed or another body altogether and seeing an unfamiliar ceiling, but it doesn't mean I don't have any regrets. I said as much to Soi Fon. Maybe if I was younger, I would say something stupid as my last words, but I needed to say everything I could before... Well, I couldn't.
I looked around to find either or, hopefully, both of my Zanpakuto spirits before this world crumbled away and we, with it. Surprisingly, I couldn't see them, which I felt was unnatural. I would think that they would approach me as soon as they sensed that I was here. Maybe they just don't have enough energy to materialize here anymore. It would be a shame to die alone, but I can't do anything about it.
Surprisingly, the sky that was slowly cracking stopped doing that and even started repairing itself. But before it closed all the cracks, the process stopped, leaving some of the portions broken. It raised a few questions, but, as I still couldn't do anything about it so I decided to look around.
I walked a bit inside my world until I could see the pole that appeared when I met either Soul King or Mimihagi. I'm still not sure who it was but I guess it doesn't matter anymore. It will be an unanswered mystery in a story called my life.
I was close to it enough to touch it, so I did just that. Call it a last effort to uncover its secret, and it seemed to be the right move. The moment my hand was in contact with it, it glowed, and in front of it was an ethereal form of a man. I couldn't see his features at all, but the feeling it gave me was unmistakably the same as when he grabbed my consciousness to take a closer look years ago.
"You narrowly avoided death by virtue of your beloved, but as we speak, your life is slowly slipping through your fingers. Nevertheless, there is still a chance for you to survive. I can grant you a letter that will allow you to perverse your existence. However, it won't be enough for you to mend all of your wounds. I only wish, of you, for one thing in return..."