Chapter 252
"Could it be that it was Aizen Sōsuke? I didn't expect that my senses would be affected by him after just a few minutes of contact."
"Haschwalth, why didn't you remind me?"
"Even if I had reminded you, Your Majesty, it wouldn't have stopped you."
What shocked Yhwach even further was Yuta's composure. Yuta had sensed that his time outside the Shadow Realm was nearly over, and instead of fleeing or hesitating, he stood calmly in the rain, showing neither fear nor doubt. Such composure required not only immense power but also unwavering courage.
Yuta…
Yhwach watched the man standing confidently beneath the rain, his expression unreadable.
"Yuta, think carefully. You possess the power of the Quincy. If you choose to serve under me, I will make you the first beneath the King himself. Together, we could divide this world as equals."
As Yhwach spoke, his form and that of his subordinates began to merge into the shadows around them. An oval-shaped gate, textured like sand, opened beside the remaining Sternritter members, and one by one, they stepped through it.
"It's time. I'll be leaving now," said the woman with long pink hair and a graceful figure. A belt with a heart-shaped box hung loosely around her waist. She turned to glance at the corpses scattered around her and added softly, "Can't you hear it anymore?"
Her name was Meninas McAllon, and her Schrift was P-Power-the embodiment of overwhelming physical strength.
With her farewell spoken, she too stepped into the shadow gate and vanished.
None of the Shinigami present had the strength left to stop them. The rain drenched each one of them to the core, and the weight of defeat hung heavier than the downpour itself. Many of them were battered and soaked, looking less like warriors and closer to broken survivors caught in the storm.
--
"The second group-divisions eleven through sixteen-move to the West Rukongai, District Fifty-Six! The rest of you, follow me!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Prioritize the wounded first! The bodies come last!"
Members of the Fourth Division hurried through the storm as shouted orders echoed across the drenched battlefield.
"There's another emergency!"
"Send them to rooms Two and Three!"
--
It poured endlessly. Soul Society had not seen rain this heavy in centuries.
Kyōraku Shunsui stood motionless in the rain, silent for what felt like hours. Before him lay a massive crater-a dark pit scorched into the earth by Yhwach's finger alone. It was that single gesture that had erased Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's body from existence.
In comparison to that crater, Shunsui's human-sized frame appeared painfully insignificant. It made mockery of their faith. Even the overwhelming might of the man they once called "the strongest Shinigami" had been obliterated into ashes before Yhwach's power.
Shunsui stood there, seemingly frozen between moments. The man who had once been carefree-the boy beneath the straw hat-was gone. The weight of leadership settled into him in that instant as he stared at the ashes of the era that had just ended.
With the fall of Yamamoto Genryūsai, he now faced questions he had no luxury to avoid: What would become of the Gotei 13? How could they possibly defeat Yhwach? Would they have to embrace the very darkness they had once sworn to destroy in order to overcome it?
Change-painful and irreversible-had taken root in Kyōraku Shunsui's blood.
--
Within the Fourth Division's barracks, Yuta entered the medical wing. The sight before him was grim-Kuchiki Byakuya and Abarai Renji both lay pale and motionless, their conditions critical. Even Unohana Retsu's advanced Kaidō could not fully mend them.
However, under Yuta's hand, their wounds began to close rapidly. The healing energy that flowed from him was unlike anything seen before-calm, efficient, and astonishingly powerful. Even Unohana, who had witnessed centuries of healing arts, found herself watching in awe. Yuta's Kaidō rivaled that of Kirinji Tenjirō-the "Hot Spring Demon" from Squad Zero-and in some ways, it was even superior. Unlike Tenjirō's fixed healing spring, Yuta's technique required no medium and could be used anywhere, at will.
Within minutes, color returned to Byakuya's face. Renji sat up weakly, both bowing in gratitude toward Yuta.
Unohana assisted several other wounded Shinigami nearby, her expression showing silent relief as the worst of the chaos passed.
Kurosaki Ichigo stepped forward then-his body mostly uninjured but his swords in hand shattered. He looked at Yuta earnestly. "Yuta-san, I was hoping you could help me repair my Zanpakutō."
Standing respectfully behind Yuta was Nemu, her hands folded neatly at her abdomen and her legs pressed together, posture formal and composed as always. She spoke softly and calmly, her tone flat and factual. "Kurosaki-san, your Zanpakutō cannot be repaired."
"What?" Ichigo's eyes widened in disbelief.
"A Zanpakutō's restoration depends entirely on its owner's spiritual pressure and spirit. The process takes time, but even then-it applies only to Shikai-level damage. The destruction of a Bankai is different. Once it's shattered, it cannot be restored." Nemu's tone remained as placid as ever, her words carrying no emotion beyond precision.
Ichigo's expression fell instantly. "What…?"
"However, not everything is without exception," she continued. "For example-Captain Komamura's Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, is bound to its owner through spiritual resonance. When his Bankai is destroyed, he suffers identical injuries-but when his body heals, the Bankai recovers as well. Though that connection is rare, it proves restoration isn't always impossible." She folded her arms loosely. "According to Twelfth Division records, this phenomenon applies only to Captain Komamura among the two hundred twenty-seven known Bankai users."
She glanced at Ichigo again. "There was also the case of Madarame Ikkaku of the Eleventh Division. When his Bankai was damaged during battle with an Arrancar, it could be repaired, but its strength was permanently diminished afterward."
Ichigo looked down at his two broken black blades-Tensa Zangetsu-his expression clouded with frustration and uncertainty. He raised his gaze again toward Yuta, clinging to what hope he had left. "Yuta-san… what do you think?" To him, Yuta was the one person who might defy logic-someone beyond the limits of even the Gotei 13's understanding.
Yuta smiled faintly. "Your Bankai can be restored."
Ichigo's eyes widened, his despair replaced by sudden relief and determination.
"But don't worry," Yuta continued calmly, resting his hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "Someone will come soon-and they'll show you how to rebuild it yourself."
--
Within the First Division's barracks stood a white bed at the center of the room. Upon it lay what remained of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's Zanpakutō. The blade was almost entirely destroyed-the handle charred, the edge cracked and incomplete, less than half of the sword remaining.
Ukitake Jūshirō stood nearby, his face drawn with grief. "We haven't recovered the Captain's body," he said solemnly.
Kyoraku Shunsui turned his gaze toward the blackened fragments of Ryūjin Jakka. "Everything," Ukitake said softly, "was completely erased by the enemy."
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