Kyoraku Shunsui's mouth twitched slightly.
He was a captain, after all—one of the strongest within the Gotei 13 and a direct disciple of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni. His strength was among the best of the captains. Normally, his arrival on the battlefield would mean solid support, a reassurance to allies.
But when he scanned the scene before him, Shunsui instantly understood why Nanaya had dismissed their help. Cold sweat slid down the side of his face.
So… all of them are here…
Standing across from them were three overwhelming presences:
Aizen Sōsuke, representing the pinnacle of Hueco Mundo.
Yhwach, the supreme force of the Quincy.
And Ryūjin Jakka, the manifested spirit of the oldest and strongest flame-type Zanpakutō, embodying the power of the Shinigami themselves.
Three living symbols of three entire forces. Against them, even a captain like him really did look like he had come just to die.
"Aizen Sōsuke!!!"
The voice roared across the battlefield. Komamura Sajin had arrived, and the moment his eyes landed on Aizen, rage burst out of him like wildfire.
This was the man responsible for his best friend Tōsen Kaname's betrayal. Because of Aizen, Tōsen had walked down the path of despair—and eventually fallen under Nanaya's control like a puppet.
Komamura's spiritual pressure surged wildly. Without hesitation, he raised his Zanpakutō and shouted:
"Bankai—Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō!!!"
The sword he had just released exploded with light, and a massive black-armored warrior erupted upward from the ground. The colossal figure gripped its giant blade and swung down with overwhelming force.
"Heh…" Aizen's smooth chuckle cut through the air. He turned his head toward Yhwach with a faint smile. "What do you think? Is this Bankai worth taking?"
Yhwach barely spared the massive giant a glance. His eyes stayed calm, indifferent. He lifted his right hand slightly and said, his tone flat and dismissive:
"This Bankai is too weak. It is not worthy of me."
For Yhwach, only a Bankai at least on the level of Shunsui's would be worth claiming. Komamura's was far beneath his notice.
He didn't even summon his own spirit bow.
Instead, Yhwach simply pointed his right index finger upward at the Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō. A blue light gathered instantly at his fingertip—dazzling, sharp, and violent.
A flash. A blue arrow of concentrated spirit power erupted like a bolt of white thunder.
"—Hahhh!!!"
Komamura roared, forcing every ounce of strength into his Bankai. The towering Myō'ō raised its blade and brought it down with everything it had, intercepting the arrow.
Crack!
The air split with the sound of metal tearing. Spiderweb cracks spread across the massive sword of the Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, spreading faster and faster, threatening to shatter the entire weapon.
Komamura's eyes widened, pupils contracting sharply. His feet slid back across the ground, unable to stand firm as disbelief filled his chest.
I… I can't even block a single arrow?!
He had seen Yhwach's strength before—back in the war in Karakura Town. He had witnessed the enemy fire an enormous spirit bow, unleashing thousands of arrows at once. Yet back then, Nanaya had countered it all with ease using his Sage Arts.
But now, against him, Yhwach hadn't even bothered with something so grand. Just a single arrow—one small, casual attack—was enough to nearly destroy his Bankai outright.
Komamura's Bankai trembled on the verge of collapse.
"Komamura Sajin enters… Komamura Sajin falls…" Nanaya muttered under his breath, exasperated. He couldn't help but complain as he watched the scene unfold. At the same time, his eyes locked on Yhwach, the Samsara Sharingan spinning as power gathered.
"Sage Art—Storm Release: Light Fang!"
A blazing white beam, sharp as an arrow of divine light, shot forth at incredible speed, tearing through the air toward Yhwach.
For the first time, Yhwach's expression shifted. He did not underestimate this human's attack. His face darkened as he prepared to respond.
Reishi flared in his hand. Ordinary Quincy summoned bows, but Yhwach was no ordinary Quincy. His gathered Reishi did not form a bow, but a blade—jet black, heavy with overwhelming spiritual pressure, and carrying an oppressive aura that seemed capable of cutting apart the very fabric of existence.
He swung it down against the oncoming Light Fang without hesitation.
"—Boom!!!"
The sky split open with a thunderous explosion, light and darkness colliding in a violent storm.
A violent shockwave exploded from the clash at the center of the battlefield.
The enormous Black Rope Heavenly Punishment Ming Wang was the first to be shaken. Its gigantic frame trembled under the force and toppled forward, crashing heavily into the ground.
BOOM!!!
The ground split apart, dust and wind surging everywhere.
Kyoraku Shunsui squinted against the violent gusts, his hat nearly flying away. With a wry smile he muttered, half in shock and half in helplessness:
"No way… this is just the aftermath of their attacks, and it's already this strong? At this rate, we don't even have the qualifications to stand here and watch…"
He was a Captain, far stronger than Komamura Sajin, yet even he felt as though the wind alone might sweep him off his feet.
On the other side, Aizen Sōsuke's sharp eyes followed Nanaya's figure. His expression tightened ever so slightly.
"…He's getting stronger again," Aizen said quietly. His voice carried a rare trace of seriousness. "I can feel it. He has taken another step toward surpassing dimensions themselves. His control over the world around him… it's almost absolute."
A pause.
"The Soul King… is said to be a being like this."
Aizen's gaze grew heavier. "If this human continues to evolve at this pace, he might truly become a second Soul King. But one without restraint… an uncontrollable Soul King."
At those words, Yhwach's face hardened. His deep voice carried a weight that pressed even the air around him.
"Aizen. It's your turn."
He had allied with Aizen not out of trust, but out of necessity. He had seen for himself the terrifying power hidden within this Shinigami. When unleashed, Aizen's strength was only a single step below his own.
"I know." Aizen gave a slight nod.
Reiatsu swelled violently around him. The line between Shinigami and Hollow blurred as power surged out of his body. From his back erupted monstrous Hollow wings, grotesque and jagged. Seven or eight white skeletal faces appeared along the wings, each with twisted jaws wide open.
Inside their throats, spirit particles condensed at terrifying density.
"Ultimate Radiation Break!!!"
Aizen's voice cut through the battlefield.
At once, seven or eight beams of concentrated spiritual energy fired out like burning lasers, all aimed at Nanaya.
Almost simultaneously, Ryūjin Jakka raised his sword of flame, his voice erupting like fire itself:
"Song of Death!!!"
Both devastating attacks rushed toward Nanaya at the same time—heat, light, and destruction surging from every angle.
Yet Nanaya's expression remained calm. Without hesitation, he stretched out his hand and spoke lightly, almost casually:
"Uchiha Rebound."
In his grip appeared a great fan, the Uchiha fan, its presence carrying a strange aura of ancient power.
The moment both attacks struck, the fan whirled. With a deafening crack, the destructive energy was reflected back in all directions.
"What!?"
Aizen's eyes widened. His usual composure faltered. He hadn't expected Nanaya to reflect even attacks of this magnitude.
He considered retreating—maybe using a defensive spell like Splitting Void, maybe pulling back entirely.
But before he could act, Ryūjin Jakka roared in blind fury.
The flames around him swelled, rushing forward uncontrollably to consume Nanaya.
"Bankai! Zanka no Tachi!!!"
His entire body erupted into the full, terrible form of Bankai.
The flames of the sun itself surrounded him, the heat of the core searing the battlefield. The rebounded energy attacks were instantly melted away in that overwhelming temperature, swallowed like drops of water in a blazing inferno.
Meanwhile…
Far away, within the Soul King's Palace, the members of Squad Zero gathered.
Ichibē Hyōsube, Senjumaru Shutara, Kirio Hikifune, Tenjirō Kirinji, and Ōetsu Nimaiya.
All five of them watched the battle unfold on the grand screen before them. Their eyes reflected both awe and caution.
"What a terrifying being," Ichibē muttered to himself. "Let them tear each other apart first…"
The others nodded silently. None disagreed.
But before the thought could settle, Nanaya's figure suddenly appeared before their very eyes, as though he had crossed the boundary of space itself.
Hands casually in his pockets, he looked at them with a sharp grin tugging at his lips.
"...So, what will it be?" Nanaya said with mocking ease. "Will you come to me… or should I just send them over to you?"
His voice lingered in the vast chamber, heavy with challenge and certainty.
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