— — — — — —
"Yo, yo… monk, don't tell me you're actually thinking of.... damn~" At Ichibe Hyosube's reminder, Ōetsu Nimaiya's eyes widened.
"Teaming up with a criminal… this is just…" Senjumaru Shutara didn't even know where to begin.
Working with Yhwach to fight Ryo Yagami and Aizen Sosuke together—that was the kind of insane idea only a madman would suggest.
Ichibe stroked his beard. "Two beings who've surpassed the limits of the Shinigami, trying to build a new world… Yhwach isn't going to let them walk free."
"And between Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu and Ryo's Byäkuyä—Yhwach is easier to deal with afterward."
"Of course, I'm also planning to borrow a knife to kill someone. And that all-seeing Yhwach probably knows that too. In fact, he's likely already seen this future."
Kirio Hikifune blinked. "You mean the way he 'accidentally' leaked his location to us a few days ago?"
"Exactly."
Ichibe nodded.
"If he hadn't exposed himself on purpose, I wouldn't have discovered he recreated a shadow-world inside the Soul Society and built that empire of his."
"And I wouldn't have passed that info to Yamamoto, which indirectly shoved him into cooperating with Aizen and Ryo Yagami."
"And we definitely wouldn't have ended up fighting Aizen at this timing, only to learn he's also surpassed the Shinigami."
"So Yhwach really saw all of this coming?" Senjumaru's face darkened.
"Yes." Ichibe grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "He knew we couldn't take Ryo or Aizen alone. So leaking the truth from the start was just setting the stage—forcing us to face reality and join hands with him."
"What about His Majesty, the Soul King?"
Oetsu scratched his head. He didn't reject the idea of teaming with Yhwach—but the awkwardness was obvious.
They were sworn enemies, but with two transcendent monsters on the loose, refusing to work together would just get them wiped out one by one.
Maybe Yhwach had his Almighty to shield him from danger—but the Royal Guard didn't.
Aizen's illusions that controlled everything, Ryo's overwhelming power that crushed Yamamoto—those two together were terrifying.
The ultimate spear paired with the ultimate shield. Practically unbeatable.
To take them down, they really did need a cheat like Yhwach.
But Yhwach's goal was to kill the Soul King. And that… was a problem.
If the Soul King died, the Soul Society would collapse.
Ichibe's grin widened into something dark. "If push comes to shove, we sacrifice Ichigo Kurosaki."
"…"
Everyone in the Royal Guard fell silent.
Turn the still-growing, still-weak Ichigo into the new Soul King.
It was a workable plan.
They all knew Yhwach was powerful, but not without flaws.
Every night he had to redistribute his power among his followers and devour human souls to stay alive.
If he won in the end…
All they had to do was stuff Ichigo into the gap left by the Soul King's death, wait for the right moment, and kill Yhwach.
"It really is like a cycle repeating itself," Ichibe muttered, then looked around.
"Anyone got a better idea?"
"…"
Silence answered him.
"In that case," he said, "we follow this plan."
"We join forces with Yhwach and eliminate Ryo Yagami and Aizen Sos—"
Suddenly, the members of the Royal Guard all turned eastward.
A scorching reiatsu was burning in that direction—
Yamamoto Genryusai.
---
"You're just going to keep running?"
Yamamoto's cold voice cut through the air as Yhwach dodged yet another attack.
The old man's body was covered in wounds. He was shirtless, muscles taut, holding Zanka no Tachi in one hand. His narrowed eyes locked on Yhwach.
"A thousand years, and you're exactly the same…"
Yhwach glanced at his cloak, one corner missing, then back at the blade in Yamamoto's hand.
"Back then, you used roaring crimson flames that burned everything. But now…"
Just grazing against Zanka no Tachi had erased part of his cloak entirely.
This was nothing like the Yamamoto of a thousand years ago, who nearly crushed him with sheer overwhelming heat.
Now Yamamoto's Bankai was smaller, tighter—and infinitely more dangerous.
'If that touches me, even I'll die.'
'Wait... Ryo Yagami took hits like this head-on and still beat him?'
Something wasn't adding up.
Ryo was that strong… yet in the future Yhwach saw, he fell so easily?
Yhwach frowned, placing a hand on the Medallion at his waist.
He would steal Yamamoto's Bankai and finish this.
"It's over, Yamamoto."
He spoke coldly and activated the Medallion.
Light flared—
—and the Medallion shattered with a dry crack.
"What?!"
Yhwach's eyes widened.
Yamamoto was already on him, blade swinging down.
"Damn it!"
Yhwach threw up his right arm—
—and it vanished instantly, burned into nothing.
But he avoided the fatal blow.
"How… how can you dodge it?"
Clutching his severed stump, Yhwach stared in disbelief.
"Well, well. Looks like your Bankai-stealing trick doesn't work on me after all." Even Yamamoto sounded mildly surprised.
"No. Impossible! A Shinigami cannot escape my power! Why hasn't your Bankai disappeared?!"
"So that's it. A Shinigami can't escape, huh?"
Yamamoto's lips curled.
He raised his thick arm, grabbed his own face, and pulled downward.... A white, bone-like mask snapped into place over his features.
Yhwach's eyes flew wide. "A Hollow… mask?"
.
.
.