"Boom!!"
As Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni uttered the word "Bankai," endless flames erupted, coalescing into a tattered battle robe that draped over his body.
The Zanpakuto in his hand, now enveloped in blinding light, radiated an immeasurable heat. The temperature was so extreme that the flames themselves seemed to lose their visible form.
The flickering light Araki and the others perceived was merely an optical illusion caused by the overwhelming spiritual pressure radiating from Yamamoto.
"The old man's Bankai is like a star, its endless brilliance and energy concentrated within a small spiritual body." Araki thought, his eyes narrowed against the intense light.
He observed the destructive power of the Bankai firsthand, witnessing how it continuously disrupted and vaporized the surrounding Reishi, like a miniature sun fallen to earth.
He realized that if Yamamoto remained in Bankai for too long, "Ryuji Jakka" would eventually incinerate the entire Soul Society. A few beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, only to evaporate instantly in the scorching heat.
"Ha ha…"
"After realizing I am your enemy, you unleash your Bankai without hesitation?!" Yhwach exclaimed, a hint of admiration in his voice.
"Even though your Bankai poses a far greater threat to the Soul Society than anything I could unleash. That decisiveness... it befits the man who single-handedly forged the Gotei 13 and reshaped the very fabric of this realm."
Yhwach acknowledged. He admired Yamamoto's ruthless pragmatism. Only such a formidable opponent was worthy of being called his rival.
"Come! Let us settle this here and now, Yamamoto!" Yhwach declared, throwing back his cloak to reveal his white Quincy attire.
Ignoring the wounds he had sustained in his battle with Araki, he firmly grasped the hilt of his cross-shaped sword. His eyes burned with intense resolve, ready to engage in a final clash with the "uncrowned king of the Seireitei."
Boom!
Yamamoto, hearing Yhwach's challenge, wasted no time on further conversation. He simply raised Ryūjin Jakka high above his head.
"Here I come." Yhwach muttered, his pupils contracting as he braced himself.
Puff…
Just as Yhwach focused all his attention on Yamamoto, the sound of splattering blood and tearing flesh broke the tense silence. A Western-style sword, imbued with crackling lightning, had pierced through his chest.
"Hmm?!" Yhwach felt a sharp pain and instinctively looked down.
Sizzle, sizzle…
The lightning arced around the embedded blade.
"No sound?!" Yhwach's mind raced. He quickly recalled sealing his ears to counteract the effects of Araki's Bankai.
The Reishi he had used to block his hearing had subtly dissipated and reformed around his ears.
Because it was his own Reishi, he hadn't noticed the change. Only one person on the battlefield was capable of such precise Reishi manipulation: Araki.
"Damn you, Araki!" Yhwach roared, his eyes filled with fury as he glared towards Araki, who was slumped against a nearby stone pillar.
"Hehe." Araki responded with a weak but genuinely amused smile.
"Master Yamamoto! Now!" The short, gray-haired Shinigami, who had stabbed Yhwach with his lightning-infused sword, shouted to Yamamoto.
This Shinigami was likely a lieutenant or seated officer assisting in the fight. Araki knew exactly who it was.
Boom!!
The response was immediate: a blazing inferno descended from the sky.
Yamamoto Genryūsai, without a word, poured all his remaining power into a single, devastating strike.
"Aah!!" Yhwach roared in pain and fury as the full force of Ryūjin Jakka crashed down upon him.
A colossal explosion of flames erupted, engulfing the area and sending a shockwave that reverberated throughout the Seireitei. The inferno illuminated the entire Soul Society like a second sun.
"It's… over," Araki breathed, watching the fiery explosion. Exhausted, he finally succumbed to his fatigue and fell backward.
"Captain Araki, are you alright?"
"Araki, are you okay?!"
As Araki collapsed, two figures swiftly moved to his side, catching him before he fell.
"It's Retsu and Saitō," Araki murmured weakly.
"Don't worry about me. I'm just exhausted. My reiryoku and stamina are both depleted. I just need some rest," Araki said, leaning against the two women, closing his eyes to focus on recovering his strength.
"Hmm…" Both Saitō Furōfushi and Unohana Retsu narrowed their eyes slightly as Araki closed his eyes.
"Ah..." Unohana began, a subtle edge to her voice. "Isn't this Captain Saitō of the 6th Division? As a captain, shouldn't you be attending to your own division's soldiers? They are waiting for their captain, you know."
"As for Captain Araki of our 11th Division, I will take care of him. You needn't worry, Captain Saitō," Unohana finished, a smile playing on her lips as she gently but firmly pulled Araki away from Saitō.
"Hehe…" Saitō retorted, a hint of irritation in her voice. "I never knew Vice Captain Unohana possessed such nurturing tendencies."
"From what I've heard, Vice Captain Unohana is only proficient in slaughter." Saitō emphasized the last word, pulling Araki back towards herself.
"Hehe…" Unohana's smile remained, but her grip on Araki tightened. Her slender fingers became like steel, preventing him from moving.
"You…!" Saitō's anger flared, a flicker of killing intent in her eyes.
"Captains Saitō, Unohana!" A voice interrupted. A Shinigami from the 1st Division approached, kneeling respectfully. "I have been sent by Captain-Commander Yamamoto to retrieve Captain Araki. He has ordered that the finest Kaidō practitioners in the Soul Society attend to him."
"Ha?!" Saitō exclaimed. "Are you implying my Kidō is insufficient to heal Araki?"
"Ah..." Unohana echoed, her serene smile now carrying a distinct undertone of menace. "I can't simply ignore such an insult."
"N-no! That's not what I meant! I'm simply following orders!" The 1st Division Shinigami stammered, tears welling in his eyes. He was merely a messenger caught in the crossfire. He was well aware of both captains' immense skill, especially regarding Unohana's status as the first Kenpachi.
"Enough, you two! This is an order from the Captain-Commander himself!" A deep voice boomed. Obana Danjirō, Captain of the 5th Division, had arrived. His presence immediately diffused the tense atmosphere.
"Captain Obana!" The 1st Division Shinigami breathed a sigh of relief.
"Tch." Saitō clicked her tongue, reluctantly relinquishing her hold on Araki.
"Hmph." Unohana glanced at Saitō with a hint of disdain before handing Araki over to the 1st Division Shinigami.
"Thank you, Captains Saitō and Unohana! And thank you, Captain Obana! I will take my leave now!" The Shinigami said, carefully supporting the unconscious Araki as he departed.
Boom…
Meanwhile, Yamamoto sheathed Ryūjin Jakka, the residual heat still radiating intensely. He walked towards the assembled Shinigami, his expression unchanged.
"The war is over! We have won." Chōjirō, who had delivered the crucial blow to Yhwach, announced loudly to the gathered Shinigami. He proclaimed the failure of Yhwach's invasion and Yamamoto's victory.
"Ooh!!" The Seireitei erupted in cheers.
"Victory?" Yamamoto murmured, looking down at his hands. He had delivered the final blow, incinerating Yhwach with his flames. However, even amidst the roaring inferno, Yhwach had smiled.
Yamamoto had heard something Yhwach had said in his final moments, but the roar of the flames had made it indistinct.
A foreboding feeling settled in his heart. He sensed that Yhwach was not truly dead and would inevitably return.
If that day came, and he himself was weakened by age, who in the Soul Society could stand against such a monster?
"Araki…" Yamamoto thought, the name echoing in his mind.
"No matter," he decided. "Let the future generations handle the problems of the future. When Yhwach returns, I may no longer be the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13. I will leave it to the young ones." Unlike in the original timeline, Yamamoto had confidence in the future of the Gotei 13 with Araki's presence.
_____________
In a pitch-black dimension…
"Your Majesty!" A handsome young man with short, smooth blond hair, an androgynous face, and piercing blue eyes stood before a charred, barely recognizable corpse. His tone was respectful.
"Haschwalth?" The corpse responded, its voice distorted and chilling.
"Your Majesty, everything has been carried out as you instructed. While you engaged the Shinigami, we Quincy constructed this realm within the shadow of the Soul Society," Haschwalth reported calmly.
"Hahaha… excellent!" the corpse rasped.
"Your Majesty, the Shinigami are celebrating their victory in the Soul Society. Following your temporary 'defeat,' some of our brethren have joined you in this shadow realm, while others have returned to the Wandenreich," Haschwalth continued.
"Let them be," the corpse commanded. "From this day forth, the 'Light Empire is no more! From this day forth, we shall move from 'light' to 'shadow.' Our empire shall be known as… the 'Wandenreich'—the Invisible Empire!"
"Yes, Your Majesty," Haschwalth affirmed.
"Jugram Haschwalth," the corpse said, its voice gaining strength. "Go forth and proclaim to the remnants of my empire that I have not been defeated! The future belongs to us! In one thousand years, I will bring true peace to this world."
The corpse's eyes snapped open, revealing three distinct pupils swirling within, capable of perceiving the flow of time and alternate futures. The charred figure was indeed Yhwach.
"It will take nine hundred years for me to reclaim my heart. Ninety years to regain my intellect. Nine years to regain my power. And then… it will take only nine days to reclaim my world." Yhwach declared, his voice filled with chilling certainty.
Then, as suddenly as it appeared, Yhwach's voice vanished, along with the unsettling gaze in his eyes.
"…" Haschwalth stared at the seemingly lifeless Yhwach. He instinctively reached for his sword, then hesitated, shaking his head. "I cannot challenge His Majesty's will," he murmured to himself.
A hymn to the Holy Emperor echoed through the Invisible Empire.
The Quincy, filled with unwavering faith in their leader, chanted, "The sealed Quincy King. Nine hundred years to regain his heartbeat, ninety years to regain his intellect, nine years to regain his power."
If the unconscious Araki could have heard this thousand-year ode, he would have likely added a cynical postscript: "...nine days to reclaim his world! Nine hours for Uryū to betray him. Nine minutes of fighting before Ichigo cuts him in half. And finally, nine seconds for the monk to create a new Soul King."
Yhwach, the man who dedicated a thousand years to his ambition of becoming the Soul King and reshaping the world.
==============
This was an overkill, Araki had already injured and exhausted Yhwach so much. Combined with a sneak attack from Chojiro, and a full powered Bankai from Yamamoto, there was no possibility of there being an epic fight between Yhwach and Yamamoto. So the fight was a bit underwhelming.
Check out my other fanfic translations: A spy in Konoha, part-time Hokage
: Yoriichi Tsugikuni reborn in the soul society.
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