"Final Scene—White Emperor Sword!!!"
Senbonzakura, clad in red armor, unleashed his ultimate technique. Rows upon rows of sakura-colored blades materialized, surrounding him like a storm of steel. In his hand appeared a single sakura blade, into which he poured every drop of his spiritual power. It gleamed with a dazzling white light, radiating lethal intent.
"Baboon Bone Cannon!!!"
The twin forms of Zabimaru—a snarling monkey woman and a serpent man—guided their skeletal snake forward. Its fanged jaws split open, brimming with spiritual power. A massive laser roared forth, tearing across the battlefield.
"Cat Rondo!!!"
Haineko, the feline embodiment of ash, swung her blade with elegance and fury. The motion whipped her golden sand into a violent tornado, its howling winds carrying slicing sword energy.
Three attacks—like three natural disasters—rushed toward Qiye all at once.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Bambietta Basterbine retreated as fast as her legs could carry her. Her face was pale, drenched in sweat, her heart pounding like a war drum.
Though she was among the strongest of the Sternritter, even she could not have ended her two comrades so effortlessly.
I'll die… I'll definitely be killed…
Her forehead dripped with cold sweat.
Bambietta enjoyed torturing others, but the thought of being tortured herself filled her with raw terror. The image of Hell Path Pain's power gnawed at her mind: flesh decaying into dust, bones stripped bare, even those bones eroding into fragile ash that crumbled at a mere touch.
For a woman, it was the very definition of hell.
Even in death, she refused to become such a grotesque, withered corpse.
At that moment, as the three overwhelming attacks bore down, Qiye let out a long, drawn sigh through his puppet.
"Death Sigh."
The black mist surged outward like a tidal wave.
Everything it touched aged in an instant.
Walls dissolved into powder. Floor tiles crumbled into gray dust. Trees split apart and collapsed into lifeless husks. It was as if centuries had passed in the blink of an eye.
The three attacks—Senbonzakura's radiant blade, Zabimaru's laser, Haineko's sandstorm—were swallowed whole by the mist, corroded until nothing remained.
"...Captain Kuchiki," Renji muttered, his scalp prickling as he watched the devastation. He turned stiffly toward Byakuya, voice trembling. "Back in Karakura Town… the former King of Hueco Mundo wasn't this strong, was he!?"
Byakuya's expression remained calm, his eyes fixed on Hell Path Pain. His voice was level, almost detached."It isn't the puppet's power. It's Nanaya's. He's feeding his own Reiatsu into it."
Renji froze, realization dawning.So that's it… Nanaya is amplifying the puppet. That's why the former King of Hueco Mundo is this overwhelming now…
Nearby, Rangiku's lips parted in disbelief."If this puppet alone has such Reiatsu… then how powerful is Nanaya's real body…?"
Neither Byakuya nor Renji spoke.
Even with their Bankai at full power, they could not answer. Nanaya's limits were completely beyond their sight—beyond their dimension.
"It's over."
Nanaya, through Hell Path Pain, swung the massive double-edged axe downward. Black mist flooded the battlefield once more, striking the manifested Zanpakutō.
Decay spread instantly.
Senbonzakura's crimson armor peeled away, rust flaking off as his form collapsed.Zabimaru's skeletal serpent cracked apart, its body breaking into brittle fragments.Haineko's graceful form withered, her body aging rapidly before their eyes.
Retracting the axe, Nanaya's puppet turned its dead gaze on the Shinigami. His voice was cutting, merciless:"Why are you still standing there? Do you plan to just watch your Zanpakutō age into nothing and die?"
Even Zanpakutō spirits had lifespans. If aged to their limit, they would vanish forever. If that happened, their wielders would lose their Bankai permanently.
The three Shinigami snapped back to their senses.
Renji and Rangiku sucked in sharp breaths, terror lacing their eyes. The thought of losing their partners forever was unbearable.
Without hesitation, they drew their blades and rushed forward.
Each one swung down with all their strength—striking at their own Zanpakutō's manifestations before the mist could claim them.
After destroying the manifested spirits of their Zanpakutō, the three Shinigami instantly reclaimed their power.
Their Reiatsu surged higher than before, burning like a fresh inferno.
"Next… it's that woman."
Qiye smiled faintly, his voice cold. Controlling Hell Path Pain, he left the courtyard in pursuit of Bambietta Basterbine.
"DRU!"
A shadow streaked through the air.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry…!"
Bambietta ran desperately, sweat pouring down her face. Her crimson wings flapped wildly as she shot through the air. She glanced back again and again, terrified that the monstrous "European Shinigami" would suddenly appear behind her.
"Too slow."
The voice came from the front.
Her heart froze. Pupils dilated in disbelief, Bambietta skidded to a halt.
Before her stood another puppet—this one bearing the face she knew.
"Former Captain of Squad 9… Tōsen Kaname!?"
"No."
The figure's voice was cold, detached, as he slowly drew his Zanpakutō.
"This is the Human Path Pain."
"Bankai. Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi."
Darkness spread without end, forming into a perfect sphere that swallowed Bambietta whole.
In an instant, her world was gone.
Her hearing, her sight, her sense of smell, even her ability to feel Reiatsu—all vanished. Only the faint touch of the ground beneath her feet remained.
"Another puppet of that man…!?"
Her thoughts spiraled into despair. How many of these puppets does he have!?And worse—are they all captain-class…?
Panic rising, she flapped her wings violently, trying to break free, explosions bursting around her unseen. But the darkness devoured all sense of sound and time.
She could not tell if seconds or hours were passing.
Then—suddenly—her vision returned.
Hope flooded her chest. Relief nearly made her cry.
But in that fleeting instant, she saw them—two scarlet eyes burning like blood.
"Tsukuyomi."
The blood-red world engulfed her sight.
When she turned her head, she was no longer in the sphere of darkness.
She was crucified in a crimson space, her delicate body bound to a massive cross.
Her breath caught in her throat.
As she looked around, terror overwhelmed her. Countless crosses filled the endless horizon—each one holding another version of herself, tied down and struggling in the same agony.
"What—what is this!?"
Her voice cracked, shrill with panic. She writhed and fought, arms and legs straining desperately against the bindings, but the cross held her fast.
And then—he appeared.
From the distance, a black-haired boy approached, a soul-slaying sword in hand. His smile was calm, almost mocking, as he leveled the blade toward her.
"My Tsukuyomi has grown stronger with the evolution of my Sharingan. No longer seventy-two hours…" His tone was casual, almost conversational, but every word made her blood run cold.
"…Now, it lasts a full one hundred and sixty-eight hours. And I can repeat it… hundreds of times."
His smile widened slightly."Please… endure it well over the next few years."
The sword plunged into her chest.
"AAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
Her scream ripped through the endless scarlet world.
Inside the Tsukuyomi, time stretched into eternity.
Outside, only an instant had passed.
With a dull thud, Bambietta collapsed to her knees, tears spilling from her eyes. Her body trembled as she crawled forward, broken, humiliated, terrified beyond reason.
"M-Master… I—I know I was wrong…"
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