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"In that age, in all of creation many things were ambiguous. There was no such thing as life or death, and without progress, there was no retreat. While it swayed to and fro, you see, this was a world where one could only wait for all things to chill over the course of ten thousand or even one hundred million years. Even becoming a Hollow was part of the circulation of reishi." |
The "Original World" was the primordial realm that existed before the founding of Soul Society. Existing alongside a place known only as "the pit", this world served as the birthplace of the being that would become known as the Soul King. Eventually, the original world was reshaped using the omnipotent being's powers and thus gave form to Soul Society, the Human World, and Hueco Mundo.
Overview
According to Ichibē Hyōsube, the original world was a chaotic place; there was neither life nor death, and this stagnant chaos never either progressed nor regressed, a state of being that this world remained in for a hundred million years. In this world, only two races were known to exist, Humans, and the Hollows that the humans would inevitably transform into.[1]
History
As recounted by Ichibē Hyōsube, over time the Hollows started feasting upon the defenseless human inhabitants. This disrupted what counted as the circulation of Souls and eventually gave birth to the first Menos. Due to this disruption, the world began to destabilize again, regressing back into chaos. This continued until suddenly the being that would become known as the Soul King first emerged, "born" as if the world itself rejected the Menos' existence.[1]
As the Soul King proceeded to annihilate the Hollows to protect the human denizens, it caused the world to stagnate again. In response, five powerful beings from that time decided to work together to change the status quo to create what they believed was a better world; these were the ancestors of the Five Noble Families. However, while their methods and goals aligned, their motives did not: Tsunayashiro wanted to control the Soul King's incomparable power, another ancestor wanted to create a "lid" to cover up "the pit", Kuchiki wanted to create order, Shihōin wanted to advance this stagnant world, and finally Shiba wanted to create a world were Hollows could live on their own in peace.[1]
Eventually, the five beings realized that in order to accomplish their goals, they had to divide the current world into three new ones and needed the power of an almighty being to do so. While Shiba initially tried to convince the others to find another way, they nonetheless bound the unresisting Soul King and sealed him inside a crystal prison. Then, using the Soul King's Almighty powers as a keystone, the orignal world was split, life and death were separated, and the cycle of Souls began.[1]
Future
Imbalance of souls leads to the collapse of the worlds.
While the Soul King's powers kept the three worlds separated for the following million years, this is not their natural state; and thus should the cycle of Souls ever be disrupted, the three worlds would try to fuse again. The primary purpose of the Shinigami is to govern the souls between the Human World and Soul Society. All souls, including Hollows, are subject to the Shinigami governance of maintaining the balance. According to Rukia Kuchiki, all Shinigami are taught that a severe imbalance would result in chaos and the outright end of the world.[2]
However, Yhwach the son of the Soul King and the first Quincy, expresses belief that the worlds were always meant to be one; life and death are meant to be the same. When the worlds combine, the result would actually be a world free from the "fear of death". Such a world is Yhwach's ultimate goal.[3] The worlds can alternatively be collapsed by killing the Soul King.[4] After absorbing the Soul King, Yhwach obtained the power to merge the worlds himself.[5]
References
| Human World | Kagamino City · Karakura Town · Karakura High School · Karakura Hospital · Kurosaki Clinic · Urahara Shop · Bount Mansion · Naruki City · London |
| Soul Society | Rukongai · Seireitei · Soul King Palace · Central 46 Compound · Nest of Maggots · Shin'ō Academy · Sōkyoku Hill · Gin Tonbo · Kuchiki Manor · Central Great Underground Prison · Wandenreich City · Silbern · Wahrwelt · Western Branch · Reverse London |
| Hueco Mundo | Forest of Menos · Las Noches · Negal Ruins |
| Others | Hell · Dangai · Valley of Screams · Garganta · Primordial Sea |