"A mere Shinigami... I can kill him alone..."
Before the burly Quincy could finish his sentence, Aizen Sōsuke uppercut him squarely on the chin, sending him flying.
"Hadō #58: Tenran." Aizen raised his hand, and a massive whirlwind blew away the hail of spirit particle bullets fired by the armored Quincy.
Aizen didn't linger. He used Shunpo to follow after the burly Quincy he'd just sent flying.
The man crashed near the divine throne.
Whoosh—Aizen appeared in the same place.
"Lord Pernida... your presence honors the Sternritter."
The blonde Quincy, likely the leader, was in conversation with the short Quincy. Upon noticing Aizen's arrival, he paused and turned to size him up.
Aizen glanced back—his other two pursuers had caught up.
That was intentional. He had drawn them here on purpose.
There were too many enemies. He needed a good opportunity to release his Zanpakutō.
With the Quincies spread out, hypnotizing them all in one go would be difficult. If even one wasn't caught, Kyōka Suigetsu's ability would be exposed.
"Haven't dealt with those two Shinigami yet? They don't look like captains."
Haschwalth gave Aizen a once-over and noted he wasn't wearing a Captain's Haori.
"He might not be a captain, but he's still pretty strong... If only you'd help out!" Askin drawled lazily. He hadn't lifted a finger when Aizen showed up.
"Shatter—Kyōka Suigetsu."
Seeing the Quincies grouped together, Aizen decisively released his Zanpakutō.
The light from the blade reflected in their eyes.
"I admit, I underestimated you. But..." The burly Quincy rose to his feet, unbuttoning his collar and flinging off his cloak.
At that moment, Pernida drifted forward.
"I... will deal with him..."
Pernida's speech was strange—barely intelligible if not listened to carefully.
Having agreed to Haschwalth's invitation to join the Wandenreich, Pernida intended to demonstrate his strength in front of his new allies.
The other Quincies, curious about someone Haschwalth treated so seriously, fell silent and waited.
Thin tendrils, nearly invisible to the naked eye, extended from beneath Pernida's robes, racing toward Aizen.
"What is this?"
Aizen's spiritual perception was keen. He sensed Pernida's subtle movements—but this wasn't like any Quincy power he knew.
In the next instant, the tendrils wrapped around Aizen's body.
A chorus of sharp cracks echoed from within him.
His bones twisted and snapped violently!
His entire form contorted, wrung like a soaked rope.
"As expected of someone Haschwalth invited so formally..."
Askin began to praise him—but then fell silent.
Because the one being twisted up like a rope—wasn't Aizen.
It was their Quincy ally.
"AAAAAARGHHHH!!!"
The burly Quincy let out a piglike scream.
His body was covered in dense layers of Blut Vene, but before Pernida's distorting force, it was as fragile as tissue paper.
"What just happened?!"
Askin rubbed his eyes. He was sure he saw the Shinigami get hit. "Was my vision messed with?"
"Kyōka Suigetsu is a water-type Zanpakutō. It creates mirror reflections using mist and water, confusing the enemy's perception until they attack each other," Aizen said softly, a faint smile playing on his lips. He raised his finger and murmured, "Hadō #90: Kurohitsugi."
A black coffin rose from the ground and rapidly enveloped the burly Quincy.
The obsidian construct shot up from the forest floor.
The screams vanished.
"He dodged it..."
Pernida moved again, but Haschwalth stepped in.
"Lord Pernida, your power is overwhelming. Allow us to deal with this Shinigami. Please, stand by for now."
Haschwalth intervened—Pernida's power was too dangerous. With everyone's vision disrupted, friendly fire was a serious risk.
"No... I don't rely on vision... I can... sense through nerves..."
Pernida refused to stop. Even more tendrils poured out from beneath his robe.
The other Quincies scattered, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire.
Aizen's expression darkened. He had disrupted Pernida's senses, yet the tendrils still came for him!
"These tendrils... they're nerves? He has an external nervous system?"
It was the first time Aizen had seen such an ability.
These neural tendrils could perceive beyond the five senses. Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnosis had no effect.
Aizen quickly retreated. As more tendrils crept across the ground, he leapt into the air.
"Hadō #63: Raikōhō."
Aizen raised his left hand, unleashing a bolt of lightning.
But it wasn't aimed at Pernida—it shot toward Askin, who had also taken to the air to dodge the tendrils.
Aizen had disrupted Askin's awareness, leaving him blind to the incoming Kidō.
Boom!
Askin was struck and hurled to the ground.
As he fell, he reached out, but only his hand touched one of the nerve tendrils—his arm began to twist unnaturally. He quickly activated Hiryūkyaku to get airborne again.
"Tch. If I knew it would be this annoying, I wouldn't have followed you."
Askin flexed his dislocated wrist until it snapped back into place, glaring at Pernida. "At this rate, you'll kill us before the enemy."
"I restrained my power... But it's been too long... I'm a bit rusty..."
Pernida actually could control the intensity of his nerve tendrils' distortion.
But he had slumbered for a long time in the World of the Living. Just recently reawakened by Haschwalth, he was still adjusting. Before he could pull back the effect, Askin was already injured.
"Lord Pernida, your strength is truly awe-inspiring. But please, let us handle this Shinigami."
Haschwalth flew in front of Aizen.
Meanwhile...
Shiba Isshin was already at a disadvantage.
Robert's speed was astonishing. Isshin couldn't land a single blow.
Bang! A spirit particle beam struck Isshin's blade, almost knocking it from his grip.
Bang bang bang! More beams followed without pause.
"HAAH!"
Isshin dodged one beam, bit his finger, smeared blood along his lips, and breathed fire to ignite his sword.
After releasing his Zanpakuto, his blood gained high-temperature, combustive properties.
A fiery slash tore through the sky, obliterating the incoming spirit bullets.
But Robert fired again, casually.
Bang bang bang bang bang—more beams shot toward Isshin.
"His fire rate's insane... I can't even get close..."
"And even if I do, he can widen the gap instantly!"
Forced to dodge, Isshin knew he needed a better plan.
"This old man's fast... I need a good opening..."
He leaned against a tree, panting slightly, touching his abdomen. His hand came away bloody.
He was wounded—Robert had pushed him to the brink.
This Quincy had once followed Yhwach into the Seireitei, had even fought against a former Head Captain. His power was terrifying.
Isshin wasn't a match.
"As a next-generation Shinigami, your skills are quite excellent."
Robert appeared in front of the tree—they were separated by a single trunk.
"I recall... many captains died back then. If you've mastered your Bankai, you should be eligible for the title."
Robert slowly raised his right-hand gun.
Bang!
Isshin rolled forward—barely avoiding the beam that seared across his back.
The pain flared, but there was no time to feel it. He flashed out of the way of several more blasts.
Whoosh! He appeared behind Robert, Zanpakutō glowing as Reiatsu surged into the blade. "Getsu—damn!"
Isshin's pupils shrank. Robert's gun was already aimed at him.
Between life and death, Isshin cast aside all distractions. The flames on his blade roared as he swung with unprecedented speed.
The moon and the spirit bullets collided—an explosion erupted.
BOOOOM!!
A mushroom cloud rose in the forest.
Isshin was hurled by the blast, landing far away—though awkwardly.
Crash crash crash! He crashed through several trees before finally stopping.
"Your blade got faster. To grow like this mid-battle—your future's promising."
Isshin looked up. Robert stood above him on a branch, untouched by the explosion.
"But... this is the end."
Robert leveled his gun.
Suddenly, he paused—an oppressive heatwave surged toward him.
A crimson light burst from Isshin's body.
Robert retreated instantly—but not fast enough to avoid a slash across his chest.
He looked down—his wound was charred, with no blood flowing.
Looking up again, he saw Isshin's skin cracking.
Within the cracks, magma-like energy glowed red and gold.
His old wounds no longer bled red—only that molten substance dripped down, scorching the grass to ash.
"Bankai—Tenzan Engetsu."
White steam curled from Isshin's mouth.
"A powerful Bankai. It can even slice through my Blut Vene with ease." For the first time, Robert's expression shifted. "But before Quincy might, it still amounts to nothing."
A green light pillar rose from Robert's body.
Gong, gong, gong...
Holy, distant, and ethereal chimes echoed from within.
Isshin didn't know what it was, but he didn't wait to find out. He swung his blade at the pillar.
His slash plunged into the column—formed from highly concentrated Reishi—but did nothing. The pillar stood firm, unmoved.
"What is this?!"
Isshin felt the pressure.
His Bankai specialized in burst power—but it came with heavy strain. If he couldn't win quickly, he'd be helpless once it wore off.
Moments later, the Reishi column shattered and dissolved, revealing Robert within.
Now he had green Reishi wings and a floating Reishi disc above his head.
"To see this form... you are a lucky Shinigami."
Robert said flatly.
Isshin didn't respond. He'd already prepared his next attack.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
A crimson crescent remained fused to the blade, radiating such intense heat that the air distorted.
His sword roared like a flaming dragon as it slashed toward Robert.
"Strong burst—but not fast enough."
In an instant, Robert appeared behind him.
This was Vollständig—his speed now far surpassed before.
His ability, "God's Footsteps," made him the fastest Quincy in the Sternritter.
Bang!
A blast erupted from Isshin's back—molten blood sprayed.
"Has anyone told you... you're a pain in the ass, old man!"
Isshin's last strike had been a feint. He'd been tracking Robert's movement patterns—and predicted him perfectly.
Ignoring the pain, Isshin spun and unleashed a ferocious slash.
The red crescent detached from his blade, hurling itself at Robert.
BOOOOOM!!
Flames consumed him.
Afterward, Isshin used his Zanpakutō to prop himself up, panting. The scorching heat began to dissipate.
His Bankai faded—his Reiatsu nearly depleted.
He hadn't used it earlier because he feared this exact outcome: failing to end the fight and collapsing instead.
Isshin took out a Reiatsu-Converging Pill and swallowed it, desperately trying to recover.
"He avoided most of it... That old man is way too fast."
Isshin watched as Robert approached, scorched but still strong.
Robert had taken damage—but he still had fight left in him.
Isshin, on the other hand, was nearly spent.
He had never specialized in speed. That's why he'd hesitated to use his Bankai in the first place.
Yet now, he felt relief.
Because overhead—a Senkaimon had opened.
"Finally... backup's here." Isshin exhaled deeply.
His opponent had been overwhelming, but Aizen was facing even more Quincies. All Isshin could do was hold out until reinforcements arrived.
Katori Nanatsuki, Urahara Kisuke, and Mayuri Kurotsuchi stepped through the gate.
"This battlefield's just as intense as the rest!"