The Forest of Void, once the hunting ground for Ren's body, now stood in eerie silence as Ren grinned to himself, a smirk crossing his face. "It's really working," he murmured, as if the success of his plan was now within reach.
Ren found himself in a bustling, crowded area, a place unlike anything he'd experienced before. It was the Soul Society's Liuhun Street, the first destination for all souls entering the afterlife. The crowds around him gave off the same frantic, hurried energy as if it were a busy morning commute from his past life. People rushed forward, eager to proceed, and Ren, standing amidst the throng, barely had to move as the pressing crowd gently pushed him forward.
As Ren moved with the current, he looked up, noticing a massive, oval-shaped building ahead. It appeared to be a sort of checkpoint, and every soul was being funneled in through the entrance. The line stretched long as souls shuffled forward, passing through an imposing gate guarded by death gods seated at long wooden tables. Every soul was given something as they passed through — a wooden card, each marking their identity in the Soul Society.
Ren stood in the line, growing more curious by the second. After a lengthy wait, it was finally his turn. A man dressed in simple, mortal clothing sat at the table, his head down as he worked through his paperwork, barely acknowledging Ren's presence. Without raising his eyes, the man muttered, "This is your identity card. You're assigned to the East." He tossed Ren a wooden sign that bore the word "English."
Ren frowned, momentarily taken aback by the casualness of the whole process. "Is it always this informal?" he wondered to himself, feeling a slight irritation bubbling up. Before he could ask further questions, the crowd behind him began to push again, prompting him to step forward.
The crowd surged past, and Ren followed the directions marked on the sign, eventually reaching the entrance to a tunnel. The road sign in the distance indicated directions to the east. He walked into the dark passage, unsure of what awaited him on the other side. The tunnel seemed endless, but after what felt like an eternity, a glimmer of light finally appeared. Ren moved toward it, his curiosity growing. Stepping into the light, he emerged into an open wilderness. In front of him, a massive, gleaming portal stood, its white light bright and blinding.
Before Ren could gather his thoughts, the crowd behind him shoved him toward the portal. The light was overwhelming, forcing Ren to shield his eyes as he was carried forward. When he finally opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in yet another large building. It was similar to the previous one, but this time, it was less chaotic, with a much more formal atmosphere.
In front of a large desk, a young woman with white hair looked at him with a disapproving glare. "Submit your ID card and register quickly," she demanded in a curt tone, clearly uninterested in Ren's presence.
Ren, still trying to keep his composure, approached her, his patience wearing thin. With a forced smile, he responded, "Here you go. I'm here to register."
As he stood there, he couldn't help but think to himself, Damn, why is she so arrogant? If I were in the Hollow World, I'd tear her apart without a second thought. But he kept the thought to himself, hiding the anger behind a mask of forced politeness.
The white-haired female death god, seemingly annoyed with Ren's delay, repeated, "Name?"
Ren didn't hesitate. "Makoto Ito."
The name was a cover, a false identity Ren had prepared in advance to avoid detection. The death god jotted down the details on her paperwork, her face not showing any sign of recognition or care. "Time of death: Unknown. Place of death: Kongzu Town. Age at time of death: Nineteen. Assigned to the Black Snake District, District 57, East Area."
Ren's heart skipped a beat at the mention of his assigned district. He had no idea what the Black Snake District entailed, but it was certainly far from ideal. As the death god finished reading the fabricated details, Ren was ready to say something, but she immediately cut him off.
"Next!" she snapped, impatiently waving him off.
A guard standing nearby, dressed in a plain white shirt, urged Ren forward. "Keep moving, don't stop."
Ren gritted his teeth and forced himself to remain calm as he continued forward. However, just as he took a step, a loud voice erupted behind him. Turning around, Ren saw a middle-aged man with a wild, explosive look on his face arguing with the white-haired death god.
"Why does the kid in front of me get assigned to District 57, and I'm stuck with District 78?" the man shouted, pointing at Ren with indignation.
The white-haired death god, her patience clearly exhausted, responded firmly, "We follow all procedures strictly. If you have a problem with that, you can file a complaint." She then took back the man's identity sign and, with a swift motion, crossed out the "78" and scribbled "80" in its place.
The man's face turned bright red with fury. "This is abuse of power!" he roared, his voice echoing through the hall.
Before he could continue his outburst, two guards swooped in and, with little ceremony, grabbed the man. They carried him out, throwing him behind the portal, his angry protests fading into the distance.
Ren watched the scene with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. He shook his head, muttering to himself, Some things never change.
As the commotion died down, Ren walked forward into the portal marked with the number 58, his own fate awaiting him on the other side. What lay ahead in District 58 was uncertain, but one thing was clear: Ren's journey in this new world was just beginning, and it was bound to be a chaotic one.
Liuhun Street was divided into four major regions: southeast, southwest, northwest, and the center, where Jingling Court—the heart of the Soul Society and home to the Gotei 13, the Death Gods—was located. Each district had its own unique characteristics, with the closer the district was to Jingling Court, the better the public security and quality of life. In contrast, the districts farthest from Jingling Court, especially District 80, were much worse, with harsh living conditions.
District 80 was deserted, with scarce food and water resources, and the air had the lowest concentration of spiritual particles. The residents there had to survive by killing and plundering, leading to a life of constant bloodshed, not unlike the Hollow World. Although District 57, where Ren was assigned, wasn't the most affluent or secure, it offered better living conditions compared to the desolation of District 80. Here, survival wasn't about scavenging or fighting for every breath.
"This is District 57?" Ren murmured to himself as he stepped out of the portal, finding himself in a relatively tidy street lined with small houses and bungalows. The area's neatness and the overall environment seemed far better than what he had seen in Itokai's memory. The quality of life was noticeably better, and Ren couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him.
Instead of immediately following the instructions on his identity card to find his assigned residence, Ren decided to take a moment for himself. He walked to a nearby stream and glanced at his reflection in the water. After being in the void for so long, it felt strange to finally be in a tangible human form again.
He looked at the boy staring back at him—a figure of about eighteen or nineteen years old, with tall, sharp features: jet-black eyes and hair, a slender hooked nose, and eyes that gleamed like stars. Ren couldn't help but smile at his new appearance.
"From now on, my clone will be called Ito Makoto!" he declared to himself, satisfied. With his plan successfully unfolding, Ren's clone had acquired a human body and entered the Soul Society. The objective was now clear: while Ren's original body continued hunting Hollows in the Hollow World and transcending, the clone would find a way to join the Shinigami Academy and eventually become part of the Thirteenth Division. Both bodies would grow stronger, and once they reached their peak, the clone would be integrated back to complete the final evolution.
To avoid confusion in the future, Ren decided to distinguish his clone by calling it Ito Makoto.