The Swordsman in Bleach, Chapter 30: Facing the King of Quincy, the Ice Palace.
Located at the very top of Silbern, the air here isn't extremely cold, but thick white frost covers the ground everywhere.
The palace has two floors, but there are no doors or walls to keep out the wind; it is supported by thick, round columns on all four sides.
The man on the throne slowly opened his eyes, watching the dawn arrive, the first light dispelling the darkness around the column.
The sensation of the wind brushing against his cheek captivated him.
This is a feeling only living people can have.
"Your Majesty, you're awake."
"Hmm," Yhwach responded softly. In his current state, it wouldn't be quite right to say he was awake, but it also wouldn't be accurate to say he wasn't.
He did open his eyes, but not fully.
Unlike the four children of Soul King, he had three.
If you truly open your eyes, what you see before you are countless branches of the future.
That is the Schrift A, which signifies the power of the Almighty.
" Shinigami has arrived."
Yhwach said, propping his cheek up with his hand, as if still half-asleep, "Notify S, F, I, P, and Y to prepare to meet the enemy. The rest of the Sternritter remain still."
"Yes, Your Majesty, I will go and relay the order immediately."
Haschwalth bowed and withdrew.
Yhwach raised his head and looked ahead, saying, "Welcome to the Ice Palace."
Shiraishi stood on the light outside the door, his eyes gazing into the depths of the main hall.
A solitary throne stood in the center, upon which sat a tall, thin man, draped in a wide, deep red cloak, with a thick black beard and long hair.
His features were distinctly European, and when he wasn't smiling, he exuded a fierce aura.
His eyes were bright red, and he looked no different from a normal person.
The nine years of power had not yet passed, Yhwach had not fully opened his eyes.
" The King of the Quincy, when entertaining guests, shouldn't you at least offer a cup of tea?"
Shiraishi casually remarked and stepped toward the throne.
Yhwach didn't reply, instead scrutinizing the approaching man. He could sense a very powerful Reiatsu, even stronger than Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's. "What do you think of the Divine Realm created by Aizen?"
Shiraishi shook his head and said, "I don't know. I've never seen the Divine Realm, so I can't comment."
"Is that so? I have a very high opinion of that Divine Realm."
Yhwach praised him, his fierce face revealing a philosopher's air, "To outsiders, Aizen's methods may seem too cruel, but from the world's perspective, it's just normal behavior."
Rebirth in the Great Era of Surfing Waves
To bring a tree back to life, you must remove the rotten parts and transplant the healthy roots to new soil.
Just as with trees, so it is with people.
All souls are composed of Reishi, including Shinigami.
Aizen reassembled the decaying Reishi, creating a more complete new Reishi condensate.
This approach is commendable, but he was still mistaken; the Divine Realm has a death limit.
As long as death exists, people will fear the death of their loved ones and their own death.
This is a very painful thing. Only a world without death is a truly perfect world.
At this point, Yhwach asked, "What do you think?"
His reason for asking Shiraishi was entirely out of a sense of agreement.
For those of the same level, or even stronger than themselves in terms of Reiatsu alone.
Yhwach was eager to communicate and reach a consensus through words, which might help avoid disputes.
He hates fighting.
This wasn't a false lie; it was what he truly thought.
"If you were the one whose Reishi was damaged, would you still say that Aizen's actions were not wrong?"
Shiraishi countered with a question.
Yhwach laughed. "That's impossible."
Shiraishi also laughed and said, "My answer to you is the same."
Yhwach's smile vanished, and he said with considerable regret, "You've disappointed me."
"For me, this is a good thing."
Shiraishi smiled slightly, then turned his gaze outside and said, "Do you think those people can stop us?"
"The final hurdle is one that no one can overcome; the Sternritter victors."
Yhwach rested his chin on his hand. He dared not boast about the other knights, but he could assure them that the six men below him were absolutely invincible against Schrift Y.
"They will die, and then you will too."
Yhwach no longer concealed his murderous intent; this alliance was dispensable to him.
Everything Aizen obtained from the Soul King will eventually be taken away by him.
The world will return to a world without death, just as he wishes.
In this way, he would no longer need to experience the fear that he could not survive without engaging in combat and plundering souls.
In an unchanging world, he too will remain unchanged, becoming the eternal King of the Quincy.
"Don't be impatient, our battle can wait until after Aizen's."
Shiraishi replied with a laugh, "The only losers will be the Sternritter."
"Heh." Yhwach chuckled, then remained silent, having already sensed the arrival of the Shinigami northeast of Silbern, and chose to observe the situation.
The pure white walls looked thick and tall, and standing at the bottom and looking up, they seemed to be supporting the sky.
"It's so tall! It looks huge from a distance, and it looks even bigger up close. Just how tall is it?"
Ichigo Kurosaki looked up, his face full of astonishment. It was understandable that the natural scenery was so magnificent, but the man-made structure reaching such height was truly astonishing.
Soi Fon said sternly, "Stop with the nonsense, break down the wall and go straight up the stairs."
"Let me do it."
Yasutora Sado said that his Riot Games are quite effective at destroying buildings.
Soi Fon nodded and said, "Mm."
Yasutora Sado clenched his right hand, as if a layer of armor covered his entire arm, black with red stripes.
Bang!
He mustered his strength and punched the wall in front of him. Cracks instantly spread across the area, followed by large boulders collapsing downwards, raising a thick cloud of dust.
Six people rushed in.
Inside was a tall, dark hall, with a staircase on the side; the group turned and ran towards it.
"You wicked and despicable Shinigami, do you think you can outsmart His Majesty with a sneak attack?"
With a roar, a tall, muscular figure rapidly approached.
Yasutora Sado's eyes narrowed, and he raised his right hand, from which a thick shield sprang forth from both sides of his forearm.
With a bang, blocking the enemy's heavy punch, Yasutora Sado reached out with his left hand, grabbed the man's right arm, and flung him away violently.
Unexpectedly, while in mid-air, the man grabbed Yasutora Sado's collar with his left hand and pulled him outside.
" Chad!" Ichigo Kurosaki called out, but Chad was already out of sight. He tried to give chase.
Soi Fon shouted, "Don't delay! Keep going up, we'll leave that guy to Chad."
Ichigo Kurosaki bit his lip and started running upwards. He thought he was prepared, but when the time came, he was still worried about the death of his comrades.
Damn it, I really want to become stronger.
Ichigo Kurosaki screamed inwardly.