Aaron stared at the middle-aged man lying on the ground, his mind reeling in shock.
Long black hair, an unmistakable mustache, a lean yet imposing figure, and a lavish robe—there was no mistaking it.
"It's... Yhwach!"
For over two years, Aaron had struggled to determine the timeline he had entered in the Bleach universe. Despite numerous attempts to gather information, he hadn't encountered any familiar names or events. This left him doubting whether he'd crossed into the right world.
Now, the realization hit him hard. There was no Spiritual Arts Academy, no Gotei 13. The pieces began to fall into place.
Just as Aaron processed this revelation, an overwhelming wave of Reiatsu exploded from Yhwach's body.
"What... what's happening?!"
The immense spiritual pressure crushed Aaron to the ground, leaving him utterly immobilized. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't move a muscle. Despair crept in—this was not a force he could overcome.
But then, as abruptly as it came, the oppressive Reiatsu vanished.
A deep, commanding voice echoed in the air:
"Ant-like soul, come before your king!"
Aaron's thoughts raced. He knew why Yhwach had fallen from the sky. For a fan of Bleach, the answer was painfully obvious.
In the anime, Yhwach had only been defeated twice.
The first was a thousand years before the main storyline, when he clashed with Yamamoto Genryūsai and was left gravely injured, entering a state of suspended animation.
The second was during the "Thousand-Year Blood War" arc, where he was ultimately slain by Kurosaki Ichigo.
From the severe state Yhwach was in, it was clear that this was the aftermath of his battle with Yamamoto. The iconic "Flame Seal" placed on him by Yamamoto had evidently left Yhwach in a dire condition.
Aaron now had his answer: he had been transported to a thousand years before the events of Bleach.
The oppressive Reiatsu earlier had been deliberate—Yhwach asserting dominance even in his weakened state.
Aaron felt trapped. Run or stay? Either choice seemed fatal.
Yhwach's voice thundered again. "Did you not hear your king? Come!"
Aaron had no choice but to feign compliance, deciding to buy time.
Before he could act further, Yhwach let out a harrowing scream. Flames erupted from the red cracks across his body, burning his ornate robe and covering him in fire.
"This damn seal! Yamamoto, you old fool! I'll kill you!" Yhwach bellowed in agony.
Aaron carefully observed, realizing that the flames, though fierce, weren't harming him. This confirmed his suspicion—the Flame Seal inflicted damage only on Yhwach.
"Yhwach must be at his weakest," Aaron thought. "If I don't act now, I'll never get another chance."
Gathering his courage, he crept closer to Yhwach, dagger in hand.
Step by step, he approached, each one a grueling test of will against the residual Reiatsu still emanating from the Quincy King. Finally, he stood before Yhwach, whose weakened form trembled under the strain of suppressing the flames.
"You..." Yhwach's eyes widened in disbelief. This "insignificant ant" dared to approach him with a weapon.
Without hesitation, Aaron drove the dagger into Yhwach's chest.
Blood sprayed as Yhwach gasped, his voice faltering. "You... how dare you...?"
Aaron stabbed again and again, pouring every ounce of Reiatsu he had into the blade. With each strike, Yhwach's movements grew weaker until, at last, he was motionless.
The Quincy King, once the most feared being in the Bleach universe, was dead.
Aaron collapsed onto the ground, panting. "I can't believe it… I killed Yhwach."
Relief was short-lived as a mechanical voice resonated in his mind:
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the first kill and activating the Strongest Loot System!"
"Wait, what?" Aaron blinked in confusion as glowing boxes materialized around him.
"Ding! The host has detected loot boxes in the vicinity. Would you like to open them?"
Suppressing his excitement, Aaron responded, "Yes, open them all!"
As the boxes began to glow, Aaron's journey in the world of Bleach had truly begun.