Like a Mayfly Gazing at the Azure Heavens.

This greatly shocked the Grim Reapers, as the situation was completely different from what they had expected, and they began to doubt the true purpose of the Quincy leader.

That's right, the opponent has the advantage now, but Seireitei is just stunned. With the Shinigami's resources, as long as they can react, the ReiKai Technology will be countered in a short time, and the Quincy will be left to fight alone.

Instead of taking advantage of their high morale to expand their gains, are they going to give Thirteenth Division a chance to regroup?

"How I miss that solemn and majestic white city, which has remained unchanged."

Strolling leisurely along the clean streets of Seireitei, Yhwach and Haschwalth showed no awareness of being intruders, their blatant manner as if they were afraid of being overlooked.

"Still as beautiful as before... boring."

Yhwach disliked the Seireitei, not out of hostility, but purely because of differing aesthetic tastes.

He liked the towering European and Gothic architecture, while the Seireitei leaned towards the Eastern aesthetic of pathos and Buddhism asceticism.

"Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni hasn't made a move yet~"

"Is His Majesty also worried about this? He truly lives up to his reputation as the Strongest Shinigami recognized by the Thirteenth Division... That old man is indeed a troublesome one."

Haschwalth's expression was serious. He sensed a hint of apprehension in Yhwach's tone, but the Quincy was unconvinced.

Yamamoto is undoubtedly an extremely terrifying existence, capable of destroying the Three Worlds with the body of a Shinigami. Such spiritual pressure is extremely rare, having existed for millions of years since the birth of Soul Society.

However, there is no doubt that he was no match for Yhwach!

If I had to explain why, it would be because of the difference in their levels of existence... You can't kill Yhwach with the Shinigami power alone, no matter how powerful Ryujin Jakka becomes.

This is why Yamamoto ultimately failed to achieve complete victory in that great battle a thousand years ago.

To completely kill Yhwach, certain conditions need to be met: power, Bleach, and destiny—none of these can be missing!

—Just like Ichigo Kurosaki in the original work, who killed the Soul King and Yhwach.

Actually, before Yhwach "opened his eyes," he wasn't stronger than Yamamoto in terms of absolute power.

"But His Majesty created the 'Star Seal,' and even Captain-General Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka could be successfully taken away if the right opportunity was found."

Haschwalth was very certain.

Yhwach glanced at Haschwalth, seemingly having a different opinion, but didn't delve too deeply into the topic with Haschwalth. Instead, he brought up another matter. "Haschwalth, are we prepared enough manpower?"

"Following His Majesty's orders, this time we have deployed our most elite forces."

Haschwalth quickly replied, "With the Knights and the Reigai joining forces, we have an absolute advantage over the captains Vice-Captain of the Thirteenth Division in both quantity and quality. Victory is already in our hands!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a Quincy over from a distance, knelt on one knee, and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, the offensives in all areas are progressing smoothly, but the team sent to subdue 'Kenpachi' and 'Yōtō' has suffered a setback."

Haschwalth, unsurprised, replied calmly, "Understood, you may leave."

"Yes!"

"Zaraki Kenpachi and Sengoku Kyōka's Zanpakuto are both very special. As expected, even Star Seal couldn't steal their Bankai."

Haschwalth assured Yhwach, "But Iori Aizen's sword is just a normal Kido- type, and it certainly won't escape His Majesty's grasp."

"It's alright. This war isn't aimed at the Thirteen Court Guard Squads anyway. As long as we can demonstrate enough destructive power to make the Shinigami feel fear, that's enough. Whether it's Yamamoto or Aizen, their lives are of no importance to my great cause."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Haschwalth lowered his head.

He knew that Yhwach had already obtained the Shiba clan's secret techniques through the information he found in the "Altar of Usurpation" and the Shiba Clan Lands. Now that he had control of the path to the Soul King Palace, the Seireitei was no longer of any value to him.

So why make such a big fuss now?

The answer is to draw the Grim Reaper's attention and prevent them from stopping you at the crucial moment. Before that happens, weaken the Grim Reaper's forces to nothing!

"Haschwalth, my son, is there anything you want to say?"

"His Majesty is much 'gentler' this time than before."

Haschwalth remarked, "Last time, in order to go to the Soul King Palace, I specially created Temporary King Key in the World of the Living, but this time I'm using the Shiba clan's secret technique... so the sacrifice will be less."

Are you being sarcastic?

"I wouldn't dare."

Haschwalth bowed his head respectfully and said.

Yhwach smiled slightly, unconcerned.

Even if Haschwalth had some ulterior motives, he wouldn't care, because the blond youth's loyalty was impeccable.

During the last invasion of Soul Society, Yhwach made the mistake of being too hasty. Before completely dismantling the Seireitei's resistance, he used the Oken to lead his Imperial Guard to the Soul King Palace... As a result, he was tricked by the Great Monk and his Future Sight was sealed.

What happened next was consistent with the "historical records." After retiring from the Soul King Palace, he didn't even have a chance to return to the World of the Living before being ambushed by Yamamoto and his newly formed assassination group...

Therefore, Yhwach decided to proceed cautiously this time. First, he wanted to keep the Seireitei preoccupied with its own problems and completely eliminate high-ranking combatants like Yamamoto to avoid future problems—what if Shiba Clan or Tsunayashiro suddenly appeared at a crucial moment and launched a surprise attack?

The resources and influence of these Great Noble should not be underestimated.

Secondly, the Oken technique ultimately belongs to the Zero Division, and the Great Monk might have ways to interfere. The Shiba clan's secret techniques, on the other hand, are their own direct lineage, and even the Zero Division wouldn't use them.

"Um?"

Yhwach looked up, reached out and caught a withered yellow leaf, and couldn't help but sigh.

"Autumn and winter are the perfect seasons for hunting and slaughter!"

"His Majesty?"

Haschwalth felt that Yhwach seemed to have a deeper meaning.

Sure enough, Yhwach flicked his fingertip slightly, and the leaf turned to ashes and disappeared.

"The weather is getting cold, let Seireitei Burning."

"Yes!"

As soon as they finished speaking, the two of them suddenly felt their mouths were dry... no, it was because the temperature of the atmosphere had risen!

"Hmph~ Did that sentence come true so quickly? Indeed, only this Zanpakuto is most suitable to serve as the igniter—let it ignite the Fire of Judgment for this decaying palace!"

"Yamamoto! You're only noticing me now? You're not as perceptive as you were a thousand years ago."

Feeling the Heat spiritual pressure rushing towards him, Yhwach's scarlet eyes showed a rare hint of excitement.

Seeing this, Haschwalth sighed inwardly:

You say you don't care, but you really do want revenge, Your Majesty!

The Goddess of Victory is approaching us slowly but steadily!

As Iori, Saito, and the others overcame numerous obstacles and led their team into the Seireitei, heading towards the First Division, the war between the Shinigami and the Quincy officially entered its most intense phase, and Iori and the others were "fortunate" enough to witness this scene.

The arrival of Iori and the others disrupted the existing balance... They showed no mercy and killed countless Quincy along the way.

The only minor problem is the Reigai. If the Unassailable it, it looks exactly like the Grim Reaper. Just to distinguish the real from the fake, and to deal with the lurking enemies that appear in the team from time to time... a large part of our time is wasted here.

Both sides were well prepared, like the first leaf of autumn. When it finally fell to the ground, it wasn't the beginning of autumn, but rather the beginning of its deeper phase.

Iori and the others accelerated this process, and soon the entire Seireitei was swept up in a wave of counterattack!

From the perspective of a strategy game's God of War, it becomes clear that wherever Iori leads his team, it acts like a powerful magnet, uniting the scattered Shinigami forces. Regardless of squad or rank, everyone knows their place, and even strangers can quickly form combat squads.

As he ventured deeper into the street, an array of troops appeared behind him. By the time he reached the central area of Seireitei, he had transformed into a storm, carrying an overwhelming front line!

For the Quincy, the change in the situation was so unexpected and without warning that it suddenly ignited the already tense and entangled forces of both sides, and a fierce battle immediately broke out on the long battlefield inside the Seireitei.

Unlike the repeated ambushes of the past two days, this time the Shinigami were well-prepared, and the Quincy no longer had the advantage of "first-time kill." Even though the Quincy were more elite, the Shinigami outnumbered them, resulting in a stalemate.

The only problem is the Reigai, but there seems to be a solution to that. A certain member of the squad, surnamed Urahara... how long has it been? He already claims to have a 'feasible' solution within two days!

Back and forth they went, and once Iori brought Koga and the others under his command, the enemy gradually crumbled due to their inferiority in team composition, without Iori even having to lift a finger...

It was at this time that Iori successfully joined forces with Shunsui. This news spread throughout the entire camp, and morale immediately rebounded to a high level. Everyone was looking forward to Iori leading them to sweep away everything!

Almost simultaneously:

Yamamoto finally encountered Yhwach was idly strolling around!

"Long time no see, Genryusai."

"Yhwach..."

Yamamoto savored the name: Ah, those nostalgic memories...

Holding the Ryujin Jakka in her hand, she calmly stared at the man.

Although Yamamoto won their last battle, he knew it wasn't a fair fight and intuitively felt he was still no match for Yhwach.

"Bring it on!"

Yamamoto stood with his sword held horizontally, aimed at Yhwach, and swung it. The towering flames stirred the atmosphere, turning into the Heat storm that ripped the ground apart.

"In these thousand years... just how strong have you become?!"

"You're unlikely to find the right answer, but I'll still grant your wish!"

Clang!

Yamamoto's Great Fire Sword could no longer harm Yhwach, because with a casual swing, his seemingly ordinary black saber could cut through the sea of fire.

The flames, which could normally engulf everything and burn all things, seemed like a physical entity in the face of this blade, powerless against the "cutting".

Yamamoto quickly Bankai into the "Zanka no Tachi" mode, donning Hell Garb that could withstand all physical attacks and wielding a tachi capable of destroying everything. Each swing of the sword would cause the ground to crack open for at least a thousand meters, without any debris or dust. The original material form had already collapsed into the most basic particles under that extreme heat.

Theoretically, one could use spiritual pressure of the same level but opposite attributes to resist the Zanka no Tachi... but in practice, not many people can withstand the high temperature while dealing with Yamamoto's swordsmanship!

Yhwach was fighting against such a monster, and even he felt a bit of pressure.

Only--

"In the end, that's all it is."

Yhwach stretched out his hand, and amidst the surging electric light, a massive magic circle materialized beneath his feet, emitting bursts of Reishi flames.

"Next you will see what true Quincy power is!"

"I'll kill you first, then Iori Aizen, and then no one in Soul Society will be able to stop me!"

Chapter 494 Like a mayfly seeing the blue sky.

For later generations, whenever the major events of this year are discussed, attention is invariably focused on the Quincy War, which lasted only a few days but was of unprecedented intensity, historically known as the "Second Great Invasion," or more colloquially as—

Thousand-Year Blood War!

Just half a day after the Wandenreich officially began their war, the Quincy had already stormed into Seireitei, inflicting heavy casualties on the Shinigami side.

But it was at this moment that the man made his move— Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni left his position as commander-in-chief and cleared the way with his strongest Zanpakuto.

Seeing their companions instantly reduced to charred corpses, the Quincy had been relentlessly pursuing them calmed down, or were so frightened that they stopped in their tracks.

Neither the power of the Final Form nor the power of the Perfected State could stop Yamamoto even half a step. This old death god walked with slow steps, like a demon king returning from Rengoku, burning everything in his sight to ashes.

Even the Sternritter, who were granted Vandenreich Letter, could not withstand Yamamoto's slash. Their proud abilities were meaningless in the face of pure flames of destruction!

Especially when Yamamoto found Yhwach and activated his Bankai in an attempt to kill him, the terrifying spiritual pressure enveloped the entire Seireitei and even the Soul Society, making all the participants, whether Quincy or Shinigami, feel a suffocating pressure, as if the air around them had turned into boiling oil!

The advantage gained by the Quincy was overturned in the blink of an eye!

The Grim Reapers cheered in awe, Quincy resisted in terror. At this moment, those who had experienced the last great war finally recalled the fear of being dominated by Ryujin Jakka...

Haschwalth observed the situation from the edge of the battlefield. Even with his strength, he couldn't get involved, demonstrating just how intense the battle between Yhwach and Yamamoto Shigekuni was.

But at that very moment, above Seireitei, at the height where the Sokushinzō Barrier had originally stood, stood a figure that no one had noticed.

"What a pity."

Yhwach stood in mid-air, overlooking the chaotic Seireitei, and also watching the battle between "himself" and Yamamoto—

Yes, at the same time, there are two Yhwach in this Soul Society!

In the eyes of the Captain-General of the Shinigami, his old rival had regained his full power after his rebirth, and only by going all out could he have a chance of victory. If he could successfully slay Yhwach, then this turmoil would naturally be suppressed, and the prophecy in the "Song of the Holy Emperor" would become invalid. Sigh

However, what none of the Grim Reapers knew was that the real Yhwach was now a young man. Although his appearance and temperament were similar to those of a thousand years ago, he was clearly a different person.

The one who fought Yamamoto Genryusai possessed Yhwach's former power and appearance...

Shadow Warrior!

In the original Worldline, one of Yhwach's subordinates could imitate others and deeply admired Yhwach, emulating him in everything he did, to the point of being indistinguishable from Yhwach.