Anthem and Prophecy

Haschwalth, standing at the very front, recounted the details without a trace of emotion.

At last, Haschwalth gave his own assessment.

"I believe the conflict and contradictions between Aizen Sōsuke and the Seireitei may be irreconcilable, but the possibility of him submitting to His Majesty is extremely low."

"That does not matter..."

Yhwach's voice carried an air of indifference as he spoke.

"Even if Aizen Sōsuke, one of the Special Threats, stands against us, he will only be a slight inconvenience. The greatest value in recruiting him lies solely in the extraordinary effectiveness of his Zanpakuto ability against the Thirteen Divisions."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Haschwalth answered.

"Haschwalth, go and prepare. In the name of the Wandenreich, declare war on the Thirteen Divisions and formally announce our return," Yhwach said.

"Yes," Haschwalth replied.

Then, a faint ripple of wariness entered Yhwach's voice as he spoke.

"Also, Chiba Makoto, who represents the 'unknown' among the Five Special War Powers, is to be dealt with first. Bring back his Bankai and the King's Seal."

Haschwalth nodded and answered. "Yes."

As the person of highest standing in the present Wandenreich aside from Emperor Yhwach, Haschwalth, commander of the Sternritter, understood very clearly that Chiba Makoto was the most dangerous figure among the Five Special War Powers.

The reason Chiba Makoto had been labeled "unknown" was that the combat power he had displayed far exceeded all estimates. Even the existence of such a person had been entirely absent from the projections of the Anthem of the Quincy King.

Moreover, given the terrifying Bankai Chiba Makoto had displayed—one that had crushed Aizen Sōsuke head-on—if he was not restrained, he might very well sweep through the entire Wandenreich.

On the other hand, in Haschwalth's eyes, combat power that relied entirely on Bankai was also the easiest to