Haschwalth's Death

As Yhwach raised his arm, the core area of the entire Wahrwelt suddenly trembled.

Above the once magnificent ruins of the Soul King Palace, several pure white beams of light tore through the clouds and shot straight into the sky.

White, divine light rapidly intertwined and converged in the void.

An unprecedented pillar of pure white Reiatsu pierced through the heavens and earth, illuminating the entire pale sky with crystal clarity.

The oppressive aura emanating from the throne of the gods instantly enveloped the entire city suspended in the void.

The earth continued to crack amidst the roaring of the beams of light.

This is undifferentiated Auswählen.

Whether it was the remaining troops stationed deep within the fortress or the Sternritter scattered throughout the corridors, all were shrouded in this white light.

Those warriors who called themselves servants of the gods became nourishment to be harvested.

Yhwach no longer wanted to waste any more patience with these struggling opponents.

The resistance of mortals, the illusions of Kyōka Suigetsu, and the entanglements of cause and effect have completely exhausted his last bit of tolerance.

He wanted to reclaim all the power that had been scattered outwards and bring back all the divinity that belonged to him into his body.

Amidst the ruins of Wahrwelt, pure white beams of light descended from the sky, precisely piercing through the bodies clad in white military uniforms.

Within the pillar of light, the Reishi within the knights' bodies were forcibly stripped and extracted, flowing backwards towards the sky along the pillar of light.

"Your Majesty... why?!"

"Your Majesty, please forgive us!"

Desperate wails and cries echoed from the depths of the corridor.

Those once invincible Quincy withered and died rapidly under the baptism of holy light, turning into grayish-white Reishi dust.

The Soul Reaper captains who were fighting them all stopped their Zanpakuto and stared in astonishment at this incredible sight.

In the suspended corridor below, Haschwalth, who was about to swing his sword at Uryū Ishida, suddenly froze.

The silver Long Sword hovering in front of Uryū's chest emitted a slight hum in the air.

Haschwalth's face suddenly drained of all color, turning as pale as rice paper.

The man raised his left hand and pressed it against his chest.

His knuckles were deeply dented into the white fabric from excessive force.

An overwhelming sense of being stripped away rose from the depths of his Source, frantically drawing every last Holy Reishi from his meridians.

Haschwalth's knees buckled, and he collapsed onto the gravel ground as if all his strength had left him.

The silver sword fell to the side with a crisp clinking sound.

The beam of light descended from the sky, completely enveloping Haschwalth and relentlessly stripping him of his strength and vitality as a half-body.

Uryū Ishida, who was lying in the gravel and mud, raised his head.

A dull, dislocated pain shot through his bones; the trauma from the previous Balance had left him almost unable to stand.

But he still gripped the stone slabs on the ground with trembling fingers, supporting his body little by little.

Uryū swayed as he stood up, clutching the laceration on his right shoulder with one hand, his forehead damp with sweat.

He also saw the pure white pillar of light that pierced through the heavens and the earth.

However, when the Auswählen radiance shone down upon him, the pure white light that was enough to strip the Quincy of everything merely passed through the hem of his clothes like a gentle breeze.

No power was drained away, no vitality was taken away.

His Spirit Veins was calm and stable, as if he were beyond the laws of this world.

Haschwalth knelt on the ground, struggling to raise his chin, his pale golden eyes fixed on the boy standing in the light.

The surprise in the man's eyes flashed for a moment, then turned into a self-deprecating chuckle.

"I see..."

Haschwalth coughed up a mouthful of saliva speckled with Reishi light, and said haltingly, "So, what makes you truly special... is this."

Uryū Ishida pushed up his cracked glasses, his gaze behind the lenses filled with complex emotions.

"What do you mean by this, Haschwalth?"

Haschwalth lay on his back on the cold stone slab, letting the pure white light drain away his last remaining strength.

"You drank His Majesty's blood and have been exceptionally granted the same Schrift 'A' as His Majesty."

Haschwalth gazed at the unharmed Uryū, a hint of understanding appearing in his eyes. "Logically speaking, your life and soul have already been branded with His Majesty's mark."

"However, when the Auswählen enough to reap the lives of all Quincy, descended, you were completely unaffected."

"The Scales have lost their anchor on you; His Majesty's power to reap is completely ineffective against you."

Uryū remained silent, simply gazing at the Wandenreich Knight Commander before him, who was now walking towards death.

Haschwalth turned his gaze to the gray sky that had been shattered by the white Reiatsu pillar.

The cold wind blowing through the corridor ruffled the golden hair on his forehead and dispelled the indifference and majesty that had remained between his brows for thousands of years.

"Perhaps, you really can change this world, Uryū Ishida."

Uryū was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised by the man's change.

"Aren't you His Majesty's other half? Why would you say such a thing?"

Haschwalth did not answer directly, a bitter smile curving his pale lips.

Actually, I've always envied you.

The man's voice was soft, echoing among the empty, silent ruins.

"You have companions, and you have the determination to keep going."

"When your comrades are in dire straits, you can draw your bow and arrow without hesitation, even at the cost of your own life, to help them."

"You possess the purity to abandon all factions and stances for your comrades."

Haschwalth closed his eyes, and the image of his dear friend, wielding blazing flames, seemed to appear in his mind from a distant past.

"But I... from the very beginning, have bound myself to both ends of His Majesty's Scales, unable to move."

"I personally abandoned the past, suppressed all my emotions, and believed I was standing on the most just and correct path."

"But in the end, I realized that I was nothing more than a vessel that could be discarded at any time."

Haschwalth opened his eyes again, his gaze falling on Uryū's face.

"In this respect, you are far superior to me, Uryū Ishida."

Uryū gripped the Reishi Silver Bow tightly, his expression turning solemn.

"I'm just doing what I believe is right."

Haschwalth stared at the silver bow, which was now faintly glowing again, and the life force in his eyes was visibly fading away.

Most of the spiritual power within him had been drained by Auswählen, leaving only a perfectly intact body.

With his last ounce of strength, the man stretched out his right hand toward Uryū.

"Use your power against me; you shouldn't only be able to use it once."