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At last, we had arrived at the final stage. Stepping through the Garganta, I saw the Soul Reapers lined up in formation. They looked as if they had prepared for everything. Even the Kurosaki father and son, along with the Ishida duo, were present. I didn't actually expect Ryuken Ishida to show his face, but with Karakura Town on the line, it seemed he had no choice but to participate.
“Now, take your assigned targets as discussed. Finish them quickly, then use your discretion to support those who look like they’re struggling.”
What more needed to be said? There was no need for pleasantries with enemies marked for death. From the moment we touched down, this was total war.
“Go! Kill the Soul Reapers!”
I had already briefed the others on the appearances of their specific targets. Numerically, we were roughly even, but in terms of quality, we held the advantage. It came down to the gap between Captains and Lieutenants. My established roster was as follows:
Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni vs. Ice Emperor, Wonderweiss, and Lucifer.
Soi Fon vs. Yoruichi.
Unohana Retsu vs. Nelliel and Halibel.
Byakuya Kuchiki vs. Rukia, Rangiku, and Gin.
Sajin Komamura vs. Tosen.
Shunsui Kyoraku vs. Starrk and Ulquiorra.
Kenpachi Zaraki vs. Yammy and Zommari.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi vs. Szayelaporro.
Jushiro Ukitake vs. Nnoitra and Grimmjow.
Ichigo Kurosaki and Uryu Ishida vs. Yeriel.
Isshin Kurosaki and Ryuken Ishida vs. Is.
The remaining 9 Lieutenants vs. the remaining 7 Fracción and Aaroniero.
AoE defense and healing: Orihime.
The plan was simple: once someone finished their fight, they would immediately support the next flank. If someone fell, the victor from another duel would plug the gap. This formation was designed to stall the heaviest hitters while we picked off the rest. The objective was the complete annihilation of the opposition. I predicted we would have more survivors, primarily because of Orihime's healing and defensive capabilities. While the Gotei 13 had the 4th Division, they wouldn't be able to provide frontline triage once the slaughter started. Orihime, however, had the mobility and specific powers to widen the gap in our favor. Honestly, I or Is wanted to offer more direct support, but since neither of us was yet merged with the Hogyoku, we couldn't afford to divert focus from our primary targets. Once the Hogyoku awakens and we merge, it’s game over.
“Then, Captain Commander, I look forward to your guidance. My name is Lucifer La El. These two are the Ice Emperor and Wonderweiss. The three of us will be your cage today.”
“Come to think of it, I believe I owe you for the disturbance earlier.”
With those words, the Captain Commander slowly drew his blade. The sword, wreathed in shimmering heat, was Ryujin Jakka—the most powerful fire-type Zanpakuto in existence, possessing a destructive power unrivaled in the Soul Society.
“Think nothing of the debt. It was merely a greeting.”
The moment Yamamoto gripped his sword, I activated my Resurrección and manifested my greatsword. Knowing the lore from the original story, I was more aware of his power than anyone. Wonderweiss was already released. The Ice Emperor, having no separate release, simply took a combat stance.
“A greeting, you say... then let me return the favor.”
Whoosh! CRACKLE!
Ryujin Jakka erupted in flames as he slashed in one fluid motion. It looked like a simple strike, but the spiritual pressure (Reiatsu) was on a completely different level compared to the other Captains and Espadas. It was a perfect cut, one where his feet, hands, and blade moved as a single, absolute entity.
CLANG!
Merely parrying that perfect blow caused fractures to ripple through my greatsword. Combat at this level is a war of Reiatsu; one crushes the other’s spiritual pressure to create an opening, then strikes. Yamamoto had mastered this art for over a millennium. For him, forcing an opening with a single blow was as natural as breathing.
“Fine defense... However! Ryujin Jakka, Second Technique: Pa-cham!”
CLANG! SHATTER!
He exploited the slight tremor in my Reiatsu from the first attack. The second strike, a technique never seen in the original series, followed up instantly and shattered my greatsword into shards. My combat skills, less than a decade old, crumbled pathetically before a swordsmanship forged through endless training and countless wars.
“It is over.”
“No. It’s just beginning.”
Swipe!
The downward arc of his sword, meant to cleave my body, suddenly decelerated. I used Sonído to flicker out of his reach. The Captain Commander stared at his hands for a moment before looking back at me.
Admittedly, my swordsmanship was leagues behind his. Two moves were all it took to prove that. But my primary power isn't the blade; it’s the manipulation of death. Because Yamamoto’s Reiatsu was so overwhelming, I could only kill the speed of his strike for a fraction of a second. But that fraction was the only reason I was still breathing.
“How peculiar. For a moment, my hands grew sluggish. I have never experienced such a thing in all my years. This must be your ability.”
“You could say that.”
“I see. Very well. I shall be sure to give you my full attention next time.”
Vrooooooom.
His spiritual pressure swelled even further, indicating that 100% hadn't even been his serious state yet. The flames of Ryujin Jakka roared with newfound ferocity. It was a terrifying sight, but that heat would soon become useless.
THUD!
He seemed to have forgotten he was fighting three people. One was a Modified Arrancar created solely to seal Ryujin Jakka, and the other was designed to dampen its flames. Wonderweiss stood directly behind the old man.
SWISH!
SHHHHH—
Yamamoto, sensing the Reiatsu behind him, swung his blade backward without hesitation. The clean strike should have bifurcated the boy, but the sword—and the flames of Ryujin Jakka—were caught in Wonderweiss's hands. The flames were sucked away. Simultaneously, the other Modified Arrancar, the Ice Emperor, sent massive ice spikes surging from the ground toward the Commander.
RIP!
The sound of the white captain’s haori tearing echoed as the spikes grazed him. Yamamoto used Shunpo to widen the distance and looked down at Ryujin Jakka. The flames had been extinguished, leaving it a mundane katana.
“I told you,” I said, facing the Captain Commander. “The fight is only just beginning.”
Yamamoto didn't reply. He simply stared at his Zanpakuto.
“I’m sure you’re curious as to why your flames vanished. Your Ryujin Jakka is indeed the ultimate weapon. In a fair fight, no one could defeat you while you wield it. But if one discards everything else to specialize in a single counter, one can create a weapon to oppose even the strongest. That is Wonderweiss. His Resurrección is called Extinguir—the Prince of Extinguished Flames. He was created for the sole purpose of sealing your sword. In exchange, he lost his speech, his knowledge, his memories, and even his reason.”
“Lost them? You mean they were stolen from him.”
“Well, to put it kindly, he lost them. To be blunt, they were taken. Regardless, the result is that your flames are sealed. And the Ice Emperor over there was my insurance—an ice-attribute specialist designed to suppress your fire if Wonderweiss failed.”
As I explained the situation, Yamamoto stabbed his sealed sword into the ground.
“Did you truly believe that sealing Ryujin Jakka would be enough to defeat me?”
He sounded incensed. I shook my head. I knew better than anyone that sealing the sword didn't mean his defeat. Even in the original story, Aizen couldn't beat him without the Hogyoku's full awakening. Yamamoto’s true strength wasn't just his blade; it was his sheer physical prowess and the experience gained from winning a thousand years of war. The scars covering his torso were the proof of his history.
“No. Defeating Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni—the pillar of the Soul Society for a millennium—just because his sword is gone would be absurd. I am simply buying time.”
“Buying time?”
Instead of meeting his gaze, I looked around. In the sky, on the ground, and in the distance, the Soul Reapers and Espadas were clashing. The war was in its opening act, but there would inevitably be an ending. I was playing the waiting game.
“Precisely. Buying time until my allies and subordinates slaughter your men and come to assist me.”
No one had won yet, but eventually, they would. Some of my own would die, but if they fell here, they weren't useful anyway. Once the strong survivors converged on the swordless Captain Commander, victory would be assured. Since he couldn't use Ennetsu Jigoku, we didn't have to worry about a suicide explosion. It would be a pure contest of power.
“Buying time, you say? Then come, hatchlings. Allow me to teach you a final lesson.”
Yamamoto ripped off his upper Shihakusho, baring his torso. The raw muscle and countless scars on a man over a thousand years old radiated an overwhelming, crushing pressure.
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Man, I don't know if I can wrap this up in the next chapter or not... even I'm not sure anymore.......
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