Defeated Yhwach!

Boom!!

As Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni softly uttered the words "Bankai," endless flames transformed into a battle robe and lightly draped themselves over Yamamoto's body. The Zanpakuto in his hand was wrapped in boundless blazing light. Its temperature had become immeasurable; under such extreme heat, it had even lost the form of flame. The reason Araki and the others could still see fire was merely an illusion produced by the Spiritual Pressure overflowing from Yamamoto's Spiritual Body!

"Old Man Yama's Bankai is practically like compressing a star radiating endless 'brilliance' and 'energy' into a tiny Spiritual Body! In terms of destructive power, it can be called the greatest in Soul Society..."

As Yamamoto activated his Bankai, Araki's eyes were intimidated by the white light, making him squint unconsciously. He watched as even the aftereffects of the Bankai continuously destroyed the surrounding reishi. Like the sun in the sky descending to the earth, the "Sword of Fiery Might" would burn all of Soul Society to ashes over time even if it simply remained still. A few cold beads of sweat could not help appearing on Araki's forehead.

Yet before the sweat could fall, it was evaporated into vapor by the endless heat and dispersed throughout Soul Society...

"Haha..."

"So, the moment you learned I was an enemy, you activated Bankai without hesitation?!"

"Even though your Bankai is clearly a far greater threat to Soul Society than I am! Such resolve truly befits the man who founded the Gotei 13 by himself and reformed the situation in the Seireitei..."

Yhwach looked at Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, who had resolutely activated Bankai without hesitation despite knowing it might destroy Soul Society, and suddenly burst into laughter. He liked Yamamoto's utterly merciless attitude toward enemies. Only such an enemy deserved to be called Yhwach's opponent.

"Come! Let us settle victory and defeat here! Yamamoto!!"

As Yhwach spoke, he lightly swept aside his black cloak to reveal the white knight's uniform beneath. Ignoring the wounds he had suffered in battle against Araki, he resolutely drew the cross-shaped longsword from his waist...

At that moment, Yhwach's eyes were filled with fighting spirit. He was ready to settle matters once and for all with Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, the leader of the assassin organization known as the Gotei 13 and the uncrowned king of the Seireitei.

Boom!

Upon hearing Yhwach's words, Yamamoto Genryusai did not waste a single word. He merely raised the Sword of Fiery Might high above his head.

"It's coming..."

Yhwach's pupils trembled slightly as he prepared to counterattack.

Splurt...

It was precisely when Yhwach focused all of his attention on Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni that, accompanied by the sound of flesh being pierced, a rapier passed straight through his chest.

"Hm?!"

Feeling the pain in his chest, Yhwach instinctively lowered his head to look.

Crackle, crackle...

The rapier was still continuously flashing with lightning-fast electrical arcs.

"There was no sound?!"

In a fraction of a second, Yhwach rapidly considered the matter with his mind. Only then did he remember that, to counter Araki's Bankai, he had sealed his own ears!

The reishi he had originally used to seal his ears had somehow gathered around them once more. Since it was his own reishi, Yhwach had not noticed it. Looking across the entire battlefield, only one person could have accomplished this—Araki, who possessed Reishi Manipulation!

"Damn you, Araki!!"

Yhwach turned his cold eyes, filled with endless fury, toward Araki, who was slumped against a stone pedestal in the distance, and roared.

"Hehe~"

In response, Araki gave Yhwach a smile brimming with "goodwill."

"Genryūsai-sama, now!!"

It was at the very instant Yhwach lost focus that the man standing behind him—who had short gray hair and held a lightning sword that had pierced through Yhwach's chest—shouted at Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni in the distance.

Boom!!

What answered the man was a flaming sword descending from the heavens!

Genryūsai did not waste any words. He staked every last flame he possessed on a single slash and brought it down from the sky!

"Ah!!"

Along with Yhwach's unwilling roar, a massive mushroom cloud of flame rose within the Seireitei like a great sun! It seemed to illuminate all of Soul Society in an instant.

"It's over!"

Watching the scene before him, Araki finally let out a breath of relief. Exhausted, he fell backward.

"Araki, are you all right?"

"Araki, are you okay?!"

At the very moment Araki fell, two figures flashed to his rear and caught him as he tilted backward.

"It's Retsu and Saito, you two!"

"Don't worry about me. I'm merely a little tired because both my Spiritual Pressure and physical strength have been exhausted. I'll be fine after I get some proper sleep and rest!"

As Araki spoke, he leaned into their arms, closed his eyes, and began doing his utmost to recover his physical strength and Spiritual Pressure.

"Mm..."

At the moment Araki closed his eyes, the gazes of the two women standing behind him, Saito Furofushi and Unohana Retsu, sharpened slightly.

"Oh my~"

"Isn't this Captain Saito of the Sixth Division? As the captain of the Sixth Division, shouldn't you be treating the members of your own division? You should know that they are still waiting for you, their captain~"

"As for Captain Araki of our 11th Division, it is enough for me, also of the 11th Division, to take care of him~ There is no need to trouble you over this, Captain Saito!"

Unohana Retsu smiled at Saito Furofushi beside her. Her words rose and fell as though carrying hidden implications, while she snatched Araki from Saito's arms.

"Hehe..."

"Since when did I ever know that Captain Unohana had the ability to take care of others?"

"As far as I know, Captain Unohana, you are good for nothing except fighting~"

Saito countered Unohana as she tried to pull Araki from Unohana's embrace into her own.

"Hehe..."

In response, Unohana had no intention of letting go. Her slender, fair fingers became as hard and powerful as steel bars at that moment, firmly locking Araki's body in place and refusing to let him move even an inch from her arms.

"You!"

Seeing this, a measure of anger burned within Saito, and a faint ferocious light flashed in her eyes.

"Captain Saito, Captain Unohana!"

"By order of the Captain-Commander, I have come specifically to retrieve Captain Araki. The Captain-Commander will dispatch Soul Society's finest Kaido healer to treat Captain Araki!"

Just as Saito and Unohana continued fighting over Araki until his complexion gradually turned bluish, a member of the Gotei 1st Division stepped before them, dropped to one knee, and respectfully spoke.

"Huh?!"

"Are you saying my Kaido cannot heal Araki?"

Upon hearing that, Saito roared at the 1st Division member before her.

"Oh my~"

"I cannot simply pretend I did not hear that, you know?"

Unohana Retsu likewise revealed a faintly serene smile—one brimming with killing intent—at the division member before her.

"Uh, well, that, I-I did not mean that. I am only carrying out orders..."

The 1st Division member panicked completely. On the verge of tears, he looked at the two captains before him. He was just an employee—please spare him!

As for Captain Saito and Captain Unohana's Kaido skill, how could he possibly know that Captain Unohana and Captain Saito even knew Kaido?!

"Hey! You two, stop messing around. This is an order personally issued by the Captain-Commander!"

Just as the 1st Division member was about to faint from the pressure radiating from Saito and Unohana, a deep voice suddenly rang out and stopped their actions.

"Captain Obana Danjirō!"

The 1st Division member looked up upon hearing the voice and saw that Obana Danjirō, captain of the 5th Division, had somehow arrived beside them and kindly spoken up for him. Immediately, the 1st Division member gave Obana Danjirō a grateful look.

"Tch~"

Saito Furofushi reluctantly relinquished her claim over Araki.

"Hmph~"

In response, a trace of disdain flashed through Unohana's eyes as she looked at Saito, and she personally handed Araki over to the 1st Division member before her.

"Thank you for your understanding, Captain Saito and Captain Unohana! And thank you for your assistance, Captain Obana Danjirō! Then I shall take my leave first!"

As the 1st Division member spoke, he supported the sleeping Araki and vanished from the battlefield.

Rumble...

Elsewhere, amid a series of roars, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni sheathed his Zanpakuto. Expressionless, he walked toward the Soul Reaper division members who had come to greet him.

"The war is over! We have won!"

Chōjirō Sasakibe, who followed behind Yamamoto and was also the man who had successfully ambushed Yhwach with that lightning blade, loudly addressed the gathered Soul Reaper division members. He announced Yhwach's failed invasion and also declared Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's victory over Yhwach!

"Yeah!!!"

As Chōjirō Sasakibe's words fell, cheers for victory from the Soul Reapers rang throughout the Seireitei.

"Victory?!"

Elsewhere, when Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni heard the word victory, he quietly looked at his hands. He had indeed brought down that final strike, and he had indeed burned Yhwach's body to ashes with the flames of his Zanpakuto. Yet in the face of those endless flames, Yhwach had not begged for mercy; instead, he had smiled...

At the end, Yhwach seemed to have said something to him. Unfortunately, the roaring flames around them had been too violent, and he had failed to hear it clearly! Yet Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni inexplicably had a premonition that Yhwach had not truly died like this, and that one day, the other man would return.

If the Yhwach he should have slain truly returned one day, and he had grown old by then, who in Soul Society could stand against such a monster?!

"Araki!"

As Yamamoto thought this, a name slowly arose in his heart.

"Forget it! Let future generations handle the affairs of the future! By the time Yhwach returns, I may no longer be the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13! When that time comes, let the young people handle everything!"

Thinking of this, Yamamoto's mood seemed to improve considerably. Unlike in the original story, Yamamoto was no longer alone. He had successors capable of taking up the burden of the Gotei 13 in his place.

Within a pitch-black space...

"Your Majesty!"

A handsome young man with smooth golden short hair, a face so beautiful that it was impossible to distinguish his gender, and a pair of azure eyes stood before a charred "corpse" that no longer resembled a human. He wore a respectful expression as he spoke softly.

"Haschwalth?"

Upon hearing this, the corpse suddenly spoke in a manner that chilled the soul.

"Your Majesty, everything proceeded as you instructed. While you fought the Soul Reapers, we Quincy created this world within the shadows of the Seireitei..."

The beautiful young man named Haschwalth stood beside the "corpse" and spoke calmly.

"Hahahaha... Excellent!"

The corpse burst into laughter upon hearing this.

"Your Majesty, the Soul Reapers are celebrating their victory within the Seireitei. With Your Majesty's temporary 'defeat,' some of our companions followed Your Majesty into this world of shadows, while others returned to the Human World."

Haschwalth continued.

"Let them go! From today onward, the Lichtreich no longer exists! From this day forth, we shall move from the 'light' into the 'shadows.' Our empire shall be called... the Wandenreich!"

The corpse continued speaking.

"As you command!"

Haschwalth nodded lightly.

"Jugram Haschwalth! Tell the citizens of my empire that I have not been defeated. The future stands on our side! In one thousand years, I shall bring true peace to the entire world!"

As the corpse spoke, it suddenly opened its eyes. Within its sockets spun a pair of godlike eyes, each reflecting three pupils, as though they could see the future. Yes, this charred corpse was none other than the King of the Quincy, Yhwach!

"After 900 years, I shall reclaim my heartbeat! After 90 years, I shall reclaim my consciousness! Then, after 9 years, I shall reclaim my power! And then... in merely 9 days, I shall reclaim the world!"

As his words fell, Yhwach's voice suddenly vanished completely. Along with it vanished the godlike eyes within Yhwach's sockets.

"..."

The young man named Jugram Haschwalth looked at Yhwach, who appeared to be "dead." He instinctively reached for the cross-shaped sword at his waist. After hesitating slightly, he seemed to give up and shook his head, murmuring inwardly, My power is insufficient to oppose His Majesty.

Thus, a Holy Emperor's Anthem echoed throughout the Wandenreich.

Countless Quincy, filled with anticipation for their Majesty, sang aloud: "The sealed King of the Quincy! After 900 years, he shall reclaim his heartbeat; after 90 years, he shall reclaim his consciousness; then, after 9 years, he shall reclaim his power..."

If the sleeping Araki heard this millennial hymn now, he would surely add a few more lines afterward: "...In merely 9 days, he shall reclaim the world! Then, after 9 hours, Uryu will betray him! After another 9 minutes of battle, Ichigo will cut him in two with one slash! Finally, the Monk will use 9 seconds to turn him into a new Soul King!"

Yhwach, a sage who had spared no effort for a thousand years just to be made into the Soul King that stabilized the Three Worlds!

One more chapter, and the new arc will begin.