Silbern, the heart of the Lichtreich and the palace of the Emperor.
In this land where only Quincies resided, an unfamiliar visitor had arrived.
"That’s right. As the balancer of the three worlds—Soul Society, the World of the Living, and Hueco Mundo—I am proposing a non-aggression pact between Soul Society and the Lichtreich."
The representative of the Soul Reapers.
A massive man clad in white monk robes with a bushy beard, Ichibe Hyosube, spoke with a warm, neighborly smile.
"Leave the management of the worlds to us Soul Reapers, and you all can continue to let your Empire prosper. Furthermore, we won't interfere at all with the Quincies unified under the Lichtreich. It’s a vow with nothing but benefits. There’s no reason to refuse, is there?"
As Ichibe made his proposal leisurely with his arms crossed, Yhwach, who had been watching in silence, stared back at him.
"Deception."
"...Hmm?"
Ichibe narrowed his eyes at Yhwach’s cold reaction.
"Did you underestimate me as an ignorant babe? Entrusting the purification of Hollows to the Soul Reapers... does that not mean the disarmament and eventual death of the Quincy?"
Yhwach spoke bluntly toward Ichibe.
Ichibe Hyosube’s proposal.
To maintain the balance of the three worlds, the Quincies would stop the destruction of Hollows and leave their disposal to the Soul Reapers.
In exchange, the Soul Reapers would protect the Quincies from Hollows, creating a mutually beneficial relationship.
On the surface, it sounded plausible, but upon closer inspection, the proposal was heavily skewed in favor of the Soul Reapers.
A Quincy unable to deal with Hollows was no different from a fragile, ordinary human until a Soul Reaper arrived. Conversely, Quincies, who possessed higher spiritual power than average humans, were the optimal prey for Hollows.
It was essentially telling them to die while waiting for Soul Reapers who might never arrive, unable to defend themselves against Hollow attacks that could occur anywhere, at any time.
"Oh my, I didn't mean to underestimate you. But you certainly seem to know nothing."
Ichibe countered nonchalantly, his expression remaining unchanged.
In response, Yhwach began to question him.
"Then let me ask. Once, the world was one. Who was it that inserted a boundary into eternal rest and separated life from death?"
"It was the Soul King."
"Who was it that brought the fear of death to the people?"
"That was also the Soul King," Ichibe replied calmly.
A deep furrow appeared between Yhwach’s brows at Ichibe’s brazen answers.
"I know the cries of pain from the souls that return to my side. I know the resentment of the subjects who cling to a fleeting life out of fear of death. Did you make that proposal while looking at me, knowing this? Ichibe Hyosube."
As Yhwach spoke, blue Reishi particles were flowing into him.
Even at this very moment, they were the souls of Quincies dying somewhere and being sent back to Yhwach.
"Don't say my name so casually."
Ichibe, still speaking calmly, tilted his head slightly.
"And I fully understand your heart for your people. Is that why you initiated the 'Great Quincy Purge' 19 years ago?"
The Great Quincy Purge.
A sudden event where Yhwach, under the pretext of territorial expansion, rounded up most of the surrounding Quincy tribes and collected their power through 'Auswählen.'
Because a massive number of Quincies vanished that day, the markets of the Lichtreich lost their vitality for a long time.
Though things had returned to normal now, it was an indelible history of blood, unrecorded in official annals.
"It was for the sake of my people, Ichibe Hyosube."
"Hoh, is that so?"
Dismissing Ichibe’s question with a firm statement, Yhwach asked him in return.
"So, where is this peace of the three worlds you speak of?"
At that moment, Ichibe rolled up his left sleeve, thrust his arm forward, and shouted.
"I shall show you!"
Regarding this sudden action as an attack, Nikita reflexively drew her gun.
Dozens of bullets made of Reishi flew toward Ichibe.
However, without even glancing at them, he lightly raised his right hand and stopped the Reishi bullets in mid-air.
"...!"
In the moment of Nikita’s shock, the bullets gathered before his right hand suddenly surged back toward her.
"Tch!"
Before she could be hit, Hubert and the rest of the Schutzstaffel immediately blocked the bullets.
Meanwhile, Ichibe’s left palm slowly split horizontally, revealing a single eyeball.
As the eye with two pupils met Yhwach’s gaze, the past of the world and the end of the Soul King flashed through Yhwach’s vision at high speed.
Though he hadn't fully activated 'The Almighty,' he could catch a glimpse of the truth through his eyes.
"......Ah... This is the Soul King...."
Yhwach let out a short sigh and muttered.
He finally understood.
He understood 'why his future self committed those acts.'
He understood 'how his Almighty power was sealed.'
He had succeeded in peeking into the Soul King’s past and truth, but he could not fathom the depth of the Soul King’s power.
The Almighty was not absolute before the power of the Soul King.
"See? You knew nothing. Together with the Soul King, we are maintaining this precarious world."
"...How pitiful. How... unsightly!"
"...Ho?"
Yhwach, who had been sitting in his chair, moved in an instant. Before anyone knew it, he was standing before Ichibe, firmly gripping his left arm.
The patterns of Blut, appearing as blue Reishi flowing through veins, began to manifest even on Ichibe’s arm.
As Yhwach infiltrated with his Blut, the pupils in his eyes split into two.
It was the final use of his omniscience and omnipotence, saved since 19 years ago.
"I shall take the hand of my father, who has become a mere sacrifice."
"...Those are troublesome eyes, indeed. But you will not be able to see through the Soul King with them."
At that moment, Ichibe's left arm swelled greatly, transforming into the shape of a giant hand. It simultaneously overlaid itself onto Yhwach and vanished.
Immediately after, Yhwach’s pupils returned to being single.
"..!"
"Did you think I would give you the Soul King’s arm for free?"
Ichibe slowly stood up as if nothing had happened and began walking out of the conference hall without hesitation.
"Until the day you die, those eyes are crushed; they shall never open again."
'...With this.'
"Ah."
Just as Yhwach sensed with a peculiar smile that his plan had succeeded, Ichibe stopped in his tracks.
"Surely you didn't think I gave up the Soul King’s arm just to destroy a pair of worn-out eyes?"
"...Were you aware?"
"From the very beginning."
As Ichibe made his declaration, a sudden sense of lethargy washed over Yhwach’s body. Simultaneously, the swarm of Reishi gathering toward him vanished.
".....!"
"You are no longer the father of all Quincies. You will no longer be able to recklessly perceive or attempt to govern the power of other Quincies."
"...A futile effort, Ichibe Hyosube. My ability to perform Auswählen is not because I am the father of the Quincies."
'Auswählen.'
As a Quincy with the power to share, Yhwach could instead use that power to 'collect.'
It was the selection of Quincies, and the ability that allowed him to use his sharing power most effectively.
Yhwach thought Ichibe’s actions were meant to block his Auswählen, but Ichibe shook his head with a laugh.
"No, no. I told you. You won't be able to perceive their power recklessly."
With those words, Ichibe began walking again.
"Shouldn't there be a price for trying to defy providence? Always fear the weapon you created yourself, boy."
"..."
With that final remark, the doors to the conference hall closed.
.
.
.
"...Well, roughly... that’s what happened."
"Wow. That’s... quite surprising."
"...You really have no reaction."
To Hubert, who had relayed the events of the meeting, Ichigo was fiddling with the Sanrei Glove Hubert had just handed him.
"What kind of conversation was that? His Majesty had a father? The Soul King’s arm, Auswählen? And... what is the Great Quincy Purge?"
Ichigo, who had practically scoured all the literature in the Lichtreich to learn about the 'Fullbringer' race, knew about the existence of the Soul King.
However, Auswählen and the Great Quincy Purge were stories he was hearing for the first time.
Feeling uncomfortable at the chilling term 'Great Quincy Purge,' which wasn't even recorded in history, Ichigo questioned Hubert.
"...It’s nothing you need to know, Ichigo. It’s not a pleasant memory. It felt as if His Majesty had become a different person. Just like he is now."
Hubert had much he could say on the matter as well.
It was this event that had caused a crack in Hubert’s heart, which had previously held absolute loyalty to Yhwach.
Slightly dissatisfied with Hubert only saying what he wanted to say, Ichigo frowned, but unable to find the right words, he changed the subject.
"So, you’re saying the war with the Soul Reapers is about to begin?"
"Yes. The Sternritter are more or less complete, and it is now the year 1004, the year His Majesty spoke of. You’re already 19, after all."
Hubert crossed his arms and gestured with his chin toward the Sanrei Glove in Ichigo’s hand.
"You’ve probably heard of it. It’s a Sanrei Glove. It serves to assist the power of a skilled Quincy and is the requirement for using Quincy: Letzt Stil."
"Letzt Stil..."
Quincy: Letzt Stil.
A technique where one wears the Sanrei Glove—which disperses Reishi—and maintains a Spirit Weapon for an entire week. Upon removing the glove, the user temporarily reaches the essence of a Quincy, drawing upon all their spiritual power and potential.
However, that power does not last long, and the greatest drawback is that a Quincy who uses it loses their Quincy abilities entirely.
"Why are you giving this to me, Mr. Hubert? There aren't many Sanrei Gloves in existence. For a Quincy like me who struggled to handle Reishi..."
"I’ll say this with certainty, Ichigo. You have talent. More than any other Sternritter."
Hubert hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"I’m giving this to you in case of the worst-case scenario. A Quincy with your talent... should be able to survive any situation with that power."
"...Mr. Hubert."
Soon, he turned and headed toward where the Sternritter were gathered.
"The day the war begins is exactly one week from now. Today is your only chance to steel your resolve."
He turned his head slightly to look at Ichigo one last time.
"Remember your Quincy pride, Ichigo. And remember His Majesty’s grace."
"...Yeah, I understand."
Ichigo opened his hand without hesitation.
His hand seemed to look empty for some reason.
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