Throne of Hearts!

However, the enemy was well aware of this.

"So that's it. You're planning to use yourself as bait so your comrades can escape, are you?"

"A wise choice! But utterly meaningless, because I'll kill you quickly, and then I'll catch up to those Soul Reapers who just fled and pierce their chests with my arrows..."

The Sternritter instantly understood Sugiki's intentions. A smile played on his lips as he drew his bow, aiming it at Sugiki.

"Burn! Hidanmaru!"

Sugiki roared, wielding a burning, fiery blade, and swung it towards the Sternritter.

Unfortunately, the volley of arrows coming his way was too great. His flames couldn't block the sea-like arrows. In an instant, Sugiki's body was riddled with arrows, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Farewell, Soul Reaper!"

The Sternritter looked at the fallen Sugiki and drew his final arrow. Sugiki would surely die from this shot, or so the Sternritter believed...

"Swoosh!"

As the arrow ripped through the air, Sugiki slowly closed his eyes. He seemed to have already anticipated his impending death. And while this outcome was tragic, he had long expected it...

Sugiki only hoped that the Division Members in his squad could retreat quickly, return to their respective Divisions, report the situation to their Captains, and receive their protection.

"Thud~"

Just as Sugiki envisioned his 'death,' a gentle breeze swept by, and the arrow that was about to pierce him was batted away.

Sugiki squinted, the breeze making his eyes water, but he clearly saw the person standing in front of him: a white Haori, and the number eleven embroidered on its back.

"Shine! Ruriko!"

The newcomer was Araki, who had rushed over from the 11th Division. He looked at the fallen Sugiki and, with an expressionless face, released his Zanpakuto.

As a soft green light shone, the Sugiki, who was on the verge of death from severe blood loss, immediately regained color in his cheeks.

"You, you're Captain Araki!"

Sugiki, his color restored, looked at Araki, who appeared before him like a god descending from heaven. His expression immediately changed. He instinctively tried to stand up from the ground to salute Araki, but, having forgotten he'd lost half a leg, he stumbled awkwardly back down.

"Stay down!"

Araki looked at the fallen Sugiki, uttered only that one phrase, and then turned his gaze to the Quincy standing opposite him.

"Swoosh! Swoosh..."

The Quincy naturally didn't just stand there. While Araki was healing Sugiki, he shot several arrows at Araki. Unfortunately, Araki swatted them all away as if they were mosquitoes, knocking them to the ground.

"Who are you?"

At this moment, the arrogant Sternritter finally panicked. He admitted he had underestimated the Soul Reapers' combat strength, at least the man standing before him seemed unfathomable.

"ROOM!"

Araki ignored the man's shouts and calmly activated his ability.

"Huh?!"

The Sternritter watched as the translucent light enveloped him, an unconcealed fear in his eyes.

He asked Araki, "What did you do to me?!"

"Swoosh!"

However, before the Sternritter could think further, the light dissipated.

Immediately after, the Sternritter felt himself lose his footing, and his body uncontrollably fell towards the ground...

"My legs! Where are my legs?"

After falling, the Sternritter suddenly realized that his legs had disappeared at some point.

"You should be able to get up now."

Araki ignored the fallen Quincy and spoke to Sugiki behind him, his face expressionless.

"My leg is back! My leg, it's back!"

Sugiki Sōichirō never imagined that there was a possibility his lost leg could be reattached.

"Run! Remember to flee towards the 11th Division. The Captains of the other Divisions are currently moving through the Seireitei, hunting down the Quincy! There's no time to look after you injured, whose Spiritual Pressure is too depleted to fight."

Araki looked at the recovered Sugiki and, after a brief thought, reminded him.

Because Araki had foreseen the Quincy invasion a few minutes in advance and used Tenteikūra to notify all the Captains of the Gotei 13, the Captains of the Gotei 13 reacted faster than in the original story...

Currently, these Captains had already led their respective Divisions in a Quincy hunting 'competition' within the Seireitei. No one had time to care for these Soul Reaper Division Members whose Spiritual Pressure was exhausted and who were unable to fight.

Of course, Araki had left a contingency in his 11th Division...

"As Captain Araki commands!"

Sugiki stood up and bowed deeply to Araki.

"Mm..."

Hearing this, Araki turned around and walked towards the fallen Sternritter.

"Thank you, Captain Araki, for this new life! I am Sugiki Sōichirō of the Sugiki Family, and I pledge my lifelong loyalty to you!"

The moment Araki turned around, Sugiki Sōichirō fell to his knees with a thud and vigorously kowtowed several times towards Araki. Only then did he stand up on his own and turn to leave.

Sugiki knew he had more important things to do now. He needed to inform the Division Members whose Spiritual Pressure was depleted and were unable to fight to head to the 11th Division barracks for treatment...

"..."

Araki paid no mind to Sugiki Sōichirō's 'loyalty'. He walked over to the Sternritter member.

"Where is your emperor, Yhwach?" Araki asked coldly, facing the Sternritter member who had lost his legs and was forced to lie down.

"Do you think I'd tell you? You trash from the Soul Society! Even if I die, I'll never..."

Before the Sternritter could finish his sentence, his entire head exploded like a watermelon.

"Annoying! You're not the only Quincy with a mouth!"

Blood mixed with white matter splattered towards Araki. He blocked it with a look of disgust using his Zanpakuto's ability, then looked up at the Quincies in white scattered across the chaotic battlefield.

"ROOM!"

A giant 'transparent operating room' enveloped the area around Araki, spreading out in all directions. In the blink of an eye, it covered the entire Shūwamon battlefield! As a massive silver blade gleamed, all the Quincies were sliced in half by Araki's single strike!

"Did we just get cut down by someone?!"

"What the hell! I just saw my lower half floating in the air!"

"Damn it, what's going on?!"

Suddenly, not only were the Quincies at a loss about the situation, but even the Soul Reaper Division Members who were still entangled in battle with the Quincies had no idea what had happened.

Unfortunately, no one would answer their questions...

As streaks of silver light flashed, every Quincy floating in the sky felt a pang in their heart! They suddenly felt as if they had lost something important...

When the flickering silver light slowly vanished and the transparent 'operating room' finally contracted and 'disappeared', the Quincies, who had been forced into the sky by Araki's ability, finally landed on the ground.

"What is that?!"

"Damn it, is this hell?"

When the Quincies landed on the ground, what greeted their eyes was a throne made of countless pulsating hearts.

Instantly, the Quincies felt their scalps tingle and their SAN values plummet!

Bizarre, everything before them was simply too bizarre!

A chair made entirely of hearts? What kind of evil thing was this? And looking closely, those hearts were still beating!

"Now then, allow me to introduce myself..."

"My name is Araki. I am the Captain of the Gotei 13, 11th Division, within the Seireitei of the Soul Society that you have invaded. You can think of me as one of the leaders of the Soul Reapers you've slaughtered."

Just as the Quincies were feeling 'fear', 'confusion', and 'helplessness' at the scene before them...

A man with short brown hair, wearing a white Haori, walked towards them, holding a pulsating heart in his hand, speaking as he approached.

Looking closely, one would notice that the heart in the man's hand was identical to the many hearts forming the throne, clearly indicating a deep connection between the man and the throne!

"A Soul Reaper?!"

The Quincies looked at the 'white-clad' Soul Reaper who had appeared suddenly without warning, and all drew their bows, ready to shoot Araki with their arrows at any moment.

"Calm down..."

Araki remained calm in the face of the Quincies aiming their bows at him. In front of them, he calmly crushed the heart in his hand. Crimson liquid immediately flowed out from between Araki's fingers...

"Puff~"

As the heart in Araki's hand burst, the Quincy closest to him immediately coughed up blood and collapsed, losing all signs of life in an instant.

"What was that?"

Panicked, the Quincies who witnessed their comrade's bizarre death were utterly flustered.

"As you can see, these still-beating hearts are precisely from your..."

"If there's even a slight mistake, if the hearts behind me burst on their own, or if your arrow barrage goes astray and hits your own heart, then you'll die instantly, just like this fallen fellow!"

Araki said, shaking the blood from his hands as he sat on the throne made of countless Quincy hearts.

"Gentlemen, I am like your Emperor; I dislike useless slaughter!"

"So, for all of you, there are two choices."

"First, attack me, and you will all die here!"

"Second, use your comrades' heads to exchange for the hearts in my hand."

"Don't worry, I'm quite reasonable..."

"Just give me five of your comrades' heads, and you can exchange them for one heart in my hand! Of course, if someone can bring me Yhwach's head, then all the hearts I have here will be returned to you, every single one."

Araki casually sat on this 'Throne of Hearts', like a high and mighty king, coldly lecturing the invading Quincies.

"So, choose!"

Araki looked at the Quincies, his voice devoid of emotion.

Two more updates! Seeing how hard I'm working, everyone, please cast your votes!