Araki: I Just Love Telling People Who Think Highly of Themselves, "No!"

"You little brat, you were holding out on your Bankai?!"

Yhwach floated in the air, the reishi around him moving with his will, transforming into streaks of brilliant blue flames that surged towards Araki.

BOOM!

However, before the blue flames could even get close to Araki, they were swept away by a shimmering, glazed light reflected from the sky.

"Tsk..."

Yhwach's brow furrowed slightly as he watched the scene unfold.

Dong~

"Yhwach! Since you have seen me, why do you not surrender?"

"Cultivate with me in this world and share in its bliss!"

Just as Yhwach frowned, a long, distant bell chime echoed in his ears, and his expression momentarily blurred. In an instant, his surroundings changed. It was as if he had left the Soul Society and arrived in an unfamiliar realm!

This realm was unknown to Yhwach. The sky and ground were all made of glazed glass! Even the sun that illuminated the world, and the moon that guided the night, were enormous, glazed structures. It was as if this place was a 'pure land' forged from glazed glass! And at the center of this 'pure land' sat a supreme being, with skin the color of lapis lazuli, dressed in three robes, his right hand making the wish-granting mudra and holding a medicine fruit, his left hand holding an empty medicine bowl. He possessed thirty-two auspicious marks and eighty minor characteristics, seated in a vajra lotus posture on a lotus moon-disc throne. The one who spoke, urging Yhwach to surrender, was this 'saint among saints'.

Dong~

Dong~

Dong...

As the 'saint' spoke, one bell chime after another resonated from the depths of Yhwach's heart. And with each chime, Yhwach's defensiveness and desires slowly subsided!

"No good! Is this an illusion? Such a strange illusion, even I almost succumbed!"

Just as Yhwach's desires were about to vanish, as he was on the verge of becoming a cultivator in this world, chanting scriptures with the gods and Buddhas, and sharing in their bliss, he suddenly woke up. Facing such a bizarre scene, Yhwach's brows knitted tightly. In an instant, he made his judgment.

"Is it an illusionary attack using sound waves? If so, as long as the sound doesn't reach my ears, your sound waves will have no effect on me at all!"

Listening to the incessant 'bell chimes' in his ears, Yhwach's eyes showed disdain as he instantly blocked his ears with reishi.

Silence!

The moment Yhwach blocked his ears, all sounds around him vanished! Immediately, the world made of glazed glass instantly collapsed...

Even the immortal 'Buddha' seated at the center of the world slowly dissipated into nothingness after the bell chimes ceased. Yet, as the 'saint' vanished, he seemed to be murmuring, "Foolish child! Foolish child..."

Yhwach couldn't hear what that 'bizarre' being, in his opinion, was saying, but seeing the other party disappear, he finally let out a slow sigh of relief...

Perhaps it was just a misconception, but the moment Yhwach saw that being, an alarm bell suddenly rang loudly in his heart. Since his birth, he had never encountered such a presence that made him feel a sense of danger.

"Phew..."

Yhwach let out a long breath. No matter how strange that being was just now, it was over.

Yhwach steadied his mind and rapidly moved through this collapsing, unfamiliar world using Hirenkyaku. He seemed intent on quickly leaving this bizarre 'pure land'.

However, even after Yhwach had moved for half an hour using Hirenkyaku, he still couldn't escape this collapsing world! Although the surrounding glazed glass had vanished with the world's destruction, the dark void seemed endless. No matter how far he advanced, he couldn't leave this pitch-black world...

"Could it be that I still haven't escaped this illusion?!"

Yhwach reacted instantly, his face suddenly changing.

"Foolish child! Still not enlightened?"

Just as Yhwach realized something, the world around him, which had been gradually plunging into darkness, suddenly lit up!

The 'Buddha' who had been seated at the center of the world, seemingly 'infinitely far away' from Yhwach, had unknowingly appeared before him. And the path beneath Yhwach's feet was naturally illuminated by the light of the pure glazed glass!

No, that was not a path; that was the palm of the Holy King 'Buddha'. Yhwach had been running on the palm of this 'saint' for half an hour, yet he still couldn't escape...

"Damn it!"

Yhwach looked at the great Buddha before him, his forehead covered in cold sweat. In his fury, he created countless bows, and endless Heilig Pfeil streamed like water, attacking the great Buddha's body.

Unfortunately, no matter how Yhwach attacked this great Buddha, the Buddha remained untainted, standing firm! It seemed Yhwach's efforts were completely ineffective against the great Buddha!

"I once made twelve great vows!"

The 'Buddha' ignored Yhwach's attacks. With eyes that could see through all things in the world, he gazed at Yhwach, his heart filled with compassion for all beings. This compassion was not just for Yhwach, but for all suffering beings in the three realms.

"Shut up! Shut up! You shut up!"

Hearing what the great Buddha before him said, Yhwach's face suddenly changed. He seemed unwilling for the great Buddha to utter his vows, and thus began to frantically attack the Buddha. One Heilig Pfeil after another shot directly at the Buddha's head, but to no avail!

Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong...

With one bell chime after another, the Buddha finally spoke.

"I vow that my own light shall illuminate boundless realms..."

The moment the Buddha's voice fell, the entire 'pitch-black' world was illuminated by the Buddha's light. The glazed world, which Yhwach had destroyed, reappeared before him, completely restored.

"Why is this bell still ringing? Why?"

Yhwach seemed agitated, roaring at the 'Buddha'.

"This bell rings not outside, but within your heart! You can block your ears, but how can you block your own heart?"

The Buddha said softly.

"What?"

Yhwach was stunned by the Buddha's answer. So, as long as I hear this 'bell sound' once, and my brain remembers its structure, I'll be unable to escape it for the rest of my life?!

"I vow that my body shall be like lapis lazuli, clear inside and out!"

Before Yhwach could think further, the Buddha had already begun his second vow.

As the Buddha's voice faded, both the Buddha and Yhwach's bodies transformed into pure lapis lazuli, becoming 'transparent and flawless,' 'clear inside and out'!

"May all sentient beings achieve perfection!"

"May all sentient beings and practitioners find peace in the Great Vehicle Dharma!"

"May all sentient beings practice pure conduct according to the Dharma!"

Before Yhwach could perceive the changes in his body, one 'great vow' after another echoed in his ears.

For a moment, Yhwach's consciousness gradually sank, slowly forgetting where he was...

"May all sentient beings eliminate heretical views and cultivate the practices of the Bodhisattvas!"

Another great vow. Under this vow, Yhwach had completely forgotten his identity as the Quincy progenitor. He pressed his palms together and softly chanted 'Buddhist scriptures.'

"May all sentient beings be freed from all sorrow and suffering!"

"May all sentient beings be fully satisfied and dwell in peace!"

"May all sentient beings obtain various excellent clothes without any distress!"

As the final great vow resonated, Yhwach suddenly smiled. "Why bother with such trivial matters? This world has too much suffering. Letting go is the answer!"

Yhwach seemed like a devout practitioner, converting to Buddhism, taking refuge in the Buddha of Medicine, Lapis Lazuli Light. He sat in the Eastern Pure Lapis Lazuli World, continuously chanting scriptures and cultivating himself!

Until...

A 'bell sound' distinctly different from the ancient bell sound of this Buddhist world rang out, and Yhwach suddenly realized something.

"Die!!"

Accompanied by Yhwach's roar, his cold eyes seemed to split into three!

BOOM!!

The next second, 'Buddhist scriptures,' 'Buddhist realms,' 'pure lands,' and 'holy kings' all turned into smoke and dissipated!

The entire world completely collapsed at this moment. Yhwach faced the dark world and waved his hand. A gate shimmering with white light appeared before him.

"Ridiculous, how could I succumb to this?!"

Yhwach sneered and stepped through the massive gate. In an instant, everything around him changed. When his vision returned, his figure once again stood in the sky above the Soul Society.

"Hmm? Yhwach, you actually broke through my Yakushi Twelve Vows so quickly?!"

In the Seireitei, the moment Yhwach broke through the 'pure land,' Araki noticed. He raised an eyebrow, looking at Yhwach in the sky.

"Araki, I'm afraid I've disappointed you!"

"Your Bankai is indeed powerful; even I nearly succumbed and became a part of your pure land!"

"But fate is on my side! I will absolutely not fall here!"

Yhwach stood in the sky, silently looking at Araki. His face showed a look of calm indifference, as if everything in this world was already destined. He, Yhwach, would definitely ascend to the Soul King Palace and replace the Soul King high above. Until then, he was invincible and would absolutely not be defeated.

"Fate, you say?!"

Araki seemed to have thought of something upon hearing this and shook his head helplessly.

But thankfully, Araki had already anticipated that his Yakushi Twelve Vows wouldn't be able to trap Yhwach...

To be precise, Araki hadn't even expected the Yakushi Twelve Vows to activate successfully. Now, not only had it activated successfully, but it had also made Yhwach expend a tremendous amount of power. For Araki, this was already an overperformance.

"Since the Yakushi Twelve Vows can't trap you! Then let me defeat you head-on..."

As Araki's voice faded, the Chakravartin Holy King behind him suddenly moved. One hand after another appeared from behind the Chakravartin Holy King, like blossoming flowers. The next second, those hands attacked Yhwach with a whistling sound.

BOOM!!

Yhwach, who had just escaped from the 'great vows,' had consumed too much power. Facing the barrage of hands that Araki had prepared for a long time, he couldn't dodge them...

For a moment, Yhwach was like a target, being hammered by countless hands in the sky!

"Pfft..."

Yhwach hadn't expected Araki to be so decisive. Before he could even finish his words, the next wave of attacks was already upon him.

"You bastard!!"

In his fury, Yhwach instantly activated a massive Blut Vene! The Blut Vene not only appeared on Yhwach's body but also formed a colossal shell, blocking all the Buddhist palms raining down from the sky.

"Araki! How about this move?"

After blocking the hands, Yhwach roared at Araki.

BOOM!

Araki ignored Yhwach and pointed his Zanpakuto at the sun in the sky.

The next second, a figure seemed to flicker within the sun. A brilliant light shone, and a 'Bodhisattva' holding a long sword blazing with boundless sun flames descended from the sky. It landed to the left and right of Yhwach's Blut Vene shell and swung its sword to cut it.

"Hm?!"

Yhwach's expression changed at the sight. He didn't feel scorching heat from the flaming sword in the strange Bodhisattva's hand, but he did sense another power within it—the same power Araki had used to bypass his defenses earlier, directly attacking enemies from within.

"Damn it!"

As the 'flaming' sword approached, Yhwach broke out in a cold sweat. If he dropped his guard, he'd be hit by the Buddha's palm. If he stayed put and maintained his defense, he'd be struck by the sword that ignored defenses. Was this some kind of mind game?!

Of course, Yhwach wasn't just standing there. From the moment he appeared in the sky, the glow of the Quincy cross had been shining relentlessly. Holy Arrows rained down on Araki, but each one was blocked by a massive 'Bodhisattva' that radiated a gentle 'moonlight.'

"A Bankai that combines offense and defense like this can't be without weaknesses! With such weak Spiritual Pressure in your body, let's see how long you can last!"

Yhwach shouted. The sword in Sunlight Bodhisattva's hand had already broken through his outer Blut Vene, and countless Buddha palms slammed down from the sky, forcefully knocking Yhwach to the ground.

"You're a noisy one!!"

Araki looked at Yhwach, whom he had struck down, his forehead beaded with sweat.

Just as Yhwach had said, he was at the end of his rope! He admitted that his Bankai was incredibly powerful, integrating all the power within him and representing the ultimate manifestation of his chosen path! But precisely because of its immense power, its consumption of Spiritual Pressure was unimaginable to ordinary people...

"One last strike!"

Araki said, sitting cross-legged on the lotus platform.

Under his control, the 'Holy King' and two 'Attendants' he had summoned arrived before Yhwach.

"Hm?!"

Yhwach's mind trembled slightly as he looked at the three entities radiating a 'Buddha's light' that he found repulsive.

"Boom!!"

Before Yhwach could react, the three beings that mirrored the world exploded instantly! A massive 'Buddha's light' completely enveloped Yhwach's body! A giant mushroom cloud, shaking the entire Seireitei, instantly rose into the sky!!

If Araki hadn't compressed the 'illumination' range of those three entities, the entire Seireitei might have been submerged under the Buddha's light by that immense power.

"It's over!"

Araki looked at the massive mushroom cloud and finally lost all his strength, collapsing directly to the ground.

"Yes! It's over, Araki!"

The moment Araki lay down, a cross sword landed on his neck. Yes, it was a Quincy's sword, Yhwach's sword.

Yhwach, with half his body scorched, his entire right arm covered in wounds, and looking utterly dishevelled, stood beside Araki, holding the Quincy sword, his face utterly cold and indifferent.

"I'm giving you one last choice: surrender or die!"

Yhwach looked at Araki and spoke coldly.

In fact, the stronger Araki was, the more Yhwach felt a sense of compassion. After all, the stronger Araki was, the more power Yhwach would gain when Araki surrendered and became a Quincy, and the day he performed Holy Selection on Araki arrived!

"Really? If I surrender here, I'll live?"

Araki heard this and showed a 'bitter smile,' one that conveyed utter powerlessness.

He, Araki, had given his all, but still failed to defeat Yhwach.

"Exactly!"

Yhwach looked at Araki's bitter smile, the corner of his mouth curving slightly upward.

"But, I'm sorry! In this life, the thing I, Araki, enjoy most is saying 'no' to self-righteous men like you!"

Before Yhwach could think the matter was settled, the bitter smile on Araki's face vanished instantly, replaced by a serious and determined expression.

"Then go to hell..."

Yhwach said, about to bring his sword down.

How could Araki wait for Yhwach to swing his sword? He had already used 'ROOM' to escape.

"Buzz!"

Then he stabbed a Quincy who was already half-dead.

"Your Majesty..."

The Quincy, on the verge of death, continued to murmur softly to Yhwach.

"Sedlitz?!"

Yhwach's pupils contracted as he looked at the Quincy he had killed. At that moment, he finally made a decision.

"Araki! Is this your choice?! Then die!"

Yhwach roared, turning his body to face the direction Araki had escaped.

"Boom!!!"

The response to Yhwach's roar was an endless blaze.

A man with a cross-shaped scar on his forehead, holding a 'Great Flame Sword,' walked step by step towards Yhwach. Behind the man with the 'scar' on his forehead were a group of Gotei 13 Captains in white Haori, and a ground full of Quincy corpses.

"Araki, you did well! You didn't disgrace Genryu!"

When the middle-aged man holding the 'Great Flame Sword' reached Araki's side, a flicker of worry crossed his eyes, but it quickly vanished. He had more important matters to attend to now.

"So hot, so hot..."

Araki, who was sitting on the ground, stood up immediately after seeing the middle-aged man pass by. In just a moment, he felt as if his backside was about to be cooked through.

"Looks like Old Man Yama's temperature has gone up quite a bit again!"

Araki muttered to himself, watching the middle-aged man's retreating figure. Old Man Yama, who actually listens to advice and trains, is just so reliable!

Yes, the middle-aged man was none other than Araki's master, the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni!

"So, you're the intruder in the Soul Society?"

Yamamoto's feet, ablaze with flames, continuously "scorched" and "ignited" the ground he walked on. He looked at the heavily injured Yhwach and asked in a cold voice.

"That's right!"

Yhwach revealed a sinister smile upon hearing this.

"Bankai..."

In response, Yamamoto Genryusai's expression turned frigid as he brandished the fiery sword in his hand!

A five-thousand-word chapter! Please vote!