The flames filled the sky, dyeing the heavens over Sōkyoku Hill a fiery red.
Hot winds and extreme heat fluctuated across the land, transforming the entire area into a blazing purgatory—scorching and surging.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, holding Ryūjin Jakka, walked through the inferno as if treading atop fire itself, his whole body radiating blistering Reiatsu.
"Release your Zanpakutō."
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto locked eyes with Kaiser, whose fighting spirit had been ignited, and pronounced each word with clarity.
"Let this old man see what kind of power that Zanpakutō you've hidden until now truly possesses."
Without a doubt, that sentence drew the attention of everyone present.
All eyes turned toward Kaiser, their expressions varied, their thoughts scattered, but their gazes surprisingly united—focused for a moment on the Zanpakutō in Kaiser's hand.
That Zanpakutō, which to this day had never been released before anyone, had already aroused much curiosity.
Because it had once exhibited an unusual quality during a Captain's meeting, many already knew—it was no ordinary blade.
Thus, they had long been curious about what Kaiser's Zanpakutō looked like and what powers it held.
Even those who had been spying on Kaiser from the shadows were concerned about this matter.
"Hummmm…"
Bathed in everyone's attention and provoked by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's challenge, Kaiser had yet to speak, but the Zanpakutō in his hand was already starting to vibrate.
Kaiser could feel it. At this very moment, its fighting spirit had been fully stirred, just like his own.
"Indeed." Kaiser murmured to himself, as if resonating with his blade. "If we're not using you now, then when?"
Kaiser smiled—smiled with sheer delight.
"Ting!"
He flicked his finger against the blade, producing a crisp, clear ring.
"————"
The atmosphere instantly shifted.
It became solemn.
It became reverent.
"Since you're all so curious, then open your eyes wide and take a good look."
Kaiser lifted his gaze, eyes like torches, voice like a crashing wave.
"Behold—the descent of the King."
As his words fell, Kaiser raised his Zanpakutō high.
Golden Reiatsu surged from his body.
The same Reiatsu bloomed on the Zanpakutō in his hand.
Two streams of Reiatsu from the same source fused together—intertwined, merged, and devoured one another—until they became one towering pillar of light shooting into the heavens.
"This Reiatsu…?!"
Many faces changed drastically.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa… is this some kind of joke?"
Ichigo Kurosaki, who had once fought Kaiser, was already drenched in cold sweat.
"Throne in the heavens, supreme in virtue. Throne of jewels, sovereign in greatness."
"Among the Thirty-Three Realms, crowned and enthroned."
Kaiser's voice seemed to echo from the deepest part of the world—resonating through the skies as it turned into reverberating echoes.
"Crown of Heavens."
When that name was spoken by Kaiser, its sound echoed throughout all of Seireitei, audible to every soul.
"Boom!"
On that majestic and noble Zanpakutō, an overwhelming Reiatsu unfolded like the gates of a royal palace.
At that moment, all those atop Sōkyoku Hill or nearby witnessed it.
They saw the descent of countless blades.
As if descending from a distant celestial realm, they fell while circling around Kaiser.
Their shapes varied greatly—some large, some small, some broad, some narrow, some resembling tachi, others straight swords, zanbatō, tang hengdao, ceremonial blades, naginata, miaodao, and even spears, sabers, halberds, staves—every kind imaginable.
They surrounded Kaiser's noble Zanpakutō like loyal retainers, either in worship or in devotion.
A closer look would reveal these myriad blades were not physical, but semi-transparent—half-real, half-illusory. Like shadows projected from some otherworldly realm of swords, not entirely material, yet instilling a sense of beauty and mystique.
In the end, these spectral blades flickered in and out around Kaiser's Zanpakutō, appearing dreamlike.
"…So this is your Zanpakutō?"
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's eyes gleamed.
If the scene when he released his Zanpakutō was one of overwhelming force and grandeur—then Kaiser's release was the ultimate in stillness.
There was no earth-shaking spectacle, no sweeping momentum. Yet with the descent of those illusory blades, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto could keenly sense—something extraordinary had arrived.
To this, Kaiser only smiled faintly.
Then, he swung down the raised Zanpakutō.
With that single swing, the earth-shaking force Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had been anticipating finally came.
"BOOM!!!"
It was as if an entire world of swords came crashing down—as Kaiser swung his Zanpakutō, a torrent of force erupted and struck Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto head-on.
The thunderous roar exploded through the air, shaking the very sky.
"Urgh!"
Flames burst around Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto as he clashed with the oncoming power, but even so, he was sent flying, spitting blood as he crashed into the execution scaffold on Sōkyoku Hill—shattering it.
"Sensei!"
The sudden turn of events made Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake cry out in alarm.
"Captain Commander!"
The other Captains and Lieutenants also called out, their voices filled with shock and panic.
"Cough, cough…"
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto coughed a few times, blood spurting from his mouth as he looked ahead.
"You…"
There was shock in his eyes—his spirit shaken.
Injury!
To him, this was something that hadn't happened in who knew how many years.
Yet Kaiser, upon releasing his Zanpakutō, had injured him with a single blow.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto could feel it—that strike contained no special trick. It was purely strength.
It was as if dozens, hundreds, even thousands of powers had been condensed into a single blow. When that wave of force struck his body, it truly felt like he had taken thousands of attacks at once.
This was unlike Byakuya Kuchiki's Zanpakutō that simply increased attack count. This truly felt like thousands of different strengths—some strong, some weak—all focused on him in unison.
"So the Captain Commander has realized it."
Kaiser appeared before Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, surrounded by flickering blades, like the sovereign of all swords.
And indeed—he nearly was.
"Crown of Heavens is the King of Zanpakutō."
"Its ability is to gather the power of all Zanpakutō in existence into itself."
"Its strength is the sum total of every Zanpakutō's power in this world."
Kaiser raised the now even more majestic, noble Zanpakutō—illusory blades flaring and fading along its edge.
"Though it's only their power—not their abilities—even so, a single strike from Crown of Heavens is equal to a united full-force blow from all the Shinigami in this world. Even you, Captain Commander, can't remain unscathed from that."
As he spoke, Kaiser smiled.
"Rather absurd, isn't it?"
"The leader of the Shinigami wounded by a collective attack from all the Shinigami of this world."
"Such is fate, wouldn't you say?"
Hearing this, fire flashed in Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's eyes—Ryūjin Jakka slashed forward, unleashing a massive surge of flames at Kaiser.
Those flames, capable of incinerating all of creation, had previously forced Kaiser into retreat.
But now…
"Blade Array Matrix!"
Kaiser raised Crown of Heavens once more—those flickering swords suddenly flew out, materializing to form an array around him.
"Boom!"
The surging flames struck Kaiser—but were blocked by the countless swords around him.
Some shattered, others held fast—but even when blades broke, new ones appeared instantly to shield Kaiser, keeping him completely unscathed within Ryūjin Jakka's flames.
"What?"
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's expression shifted.
"This is a defensive move using Crown of Heavens's power."
Kaiser calmly explained.
"Just like its attack is a concentrated strike from all Shinigami in this world—"
"In defense, the Blade Array Matrix is like having every Zanpakutō in existence standing before me."
"Unless you can shatter all the Zanpakutō in this world with a single blow—your attacks won't touch me."
As Kaiser's words fell, the countless blades circling around him rose into the sky, manifesting into a sea of Zanpakutō shadows.
"Next is a wide-range attack—summoning the shadows of all the Zanpakutō gathered within Crown of Heavens."
Golden light shone in Kaiser's eyes.
"Blade Array Execution!"
Countless Zanpakutō in the sky rained down like a storm, blanketing Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
"Shup!"
He used Shunpo to dodge, but couldn't escape the attack's vast range—soon he was struck by the downpour of blades.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM—!!!"
Blade after blade crashed down, smashing the ground, collapsing hills, and sending debris and dust flying everywhere.
"This is bad!"
"Fall back quickly!"
"Watch out!"
Those still on Sōkyoku Hill were horrified by the blade storm—they hastily escaped by Shunpo or on foot, fleeing like civilians under aerial bombardment, thoroughly disheveled.
"Rumble rumble…"
Sōkyoku Hill, under the endless bombardment of Zanpakutō, began to crumble—breaking apart amid constant tremors.
The scene was like mountains collapsing, the earth quaking.
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Author's Note: A little bit extra chapters for you.. Have a nice day! Thanks for all the support and give some powerstones if you can!
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