_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
[Special Evaluation]
[A Legendary Figure: The Blacksmith from the Soul King's Palace]
[God of the Blade: Nimaiya Ōetsu]
…
The sudden appearance of the text instantly drew everyone's attention.
"Ōetsu?"
"God of the Blade?"
"A blacksmith from the Soul King's Palace?"
…
Staring at the unfamiliar name and titles, the Arrancar who had been on the verge of infighting fell silent as one, confusion written across every face.
Nimaiya Ōetsu…
Who the hell was this guy? They'd never even heard the name.
But…
"God of the Blade" sounded absurdly impressive. Could he be another hidden figure, like some ancient founding captain of the Gotei Thirteen?
No way. Please, no. I can't take that again.
What is it with Soul Reapers and this obsession with hiding their identities? Can't they just live openly like normal people?
Always playing dress-up and role-playing.
There's seriously something wrong with them.
Not long ago, they had been utterly shaken by the terrifying power of Unohana Retsu. Their nerves hadn't fully settled yet, and the shadow of blood-soaked fear still lingered.
So instinctively, they assumed that this "legendary figure" Ōetsu was on the same level as the original Kenpachi.
As for what "a blacksmith from the Soul King's Palace" actually meant, they had no idea.
Aizen had never mentioned anything about the Soul King's Palace or Squad Zero.
They didn't even know such things existed.
All they could do was silently pray that this so-called "God of the Blade" wasn't on the Soul Reapers' side.
Otherwise… who the hell could handle that?
...
The same scene was playing out not just in Las Noches, but across every corner of the Gotei Thirteen. And the reactions from the Soul Reapers were even more intense.
Fifth Division barracks.
"This is…"
As soon as the words "Soul King's Palace" came into view, Aizen's eyes flared with brilliant light, his breathing quickening.
"So it's real! Gin, I knew it. They really do exist!"
Gone was his calm detachment, gone was the air of a mastermind who saw through all things.
The secret he had longed to uncover had just been confirmed without warning, and the sudden revelation nearly overwhelmed him.
For once, he didn't hide his emotions.
He cast aside his mask.
On his refined, gentle face bloomed a genuine smile, one born of pure ecstasy. It was the first time in a hundred years he had truly smiled from the heart.
Aizen's uncharacteristic reaction naturally startled the man beside him.
"Aizen… lost his composure?"
Ichimaru Gin's pupils widened in shock.
A flicker of surprise flashed deep in his eyes—so faint it was almost impossible to catch.
He had stayed by Aizen's side, lurking in the shadows, for nearly a hundred years.
And this was the first time he had ever seen Aizen lose his composure like this.
"Aizen-sama… by 'they,' you mean Squad Zero, correct?" Tōsen Kaname asked respectfully from behind him.
Unlike the Arrancar of Hueco Mundo, Tōsen—Aizen's most loyal right-hand man—knew far more of the secrets hidden beneath the surface.
After all, in the plan they had drawn up long ago—
First, seize Soul Society.Then, create the Oken.And finally, storm the Royal Palace.
That goal had never changed.
Which was why Tōsen had known about the existence of Squad Zero for a very long time.
"That's right. For years, Squad Zero has been nothing more than a controversial rumor," Aizen said calmly. "In the eyes of the world, the Gotei Thirteen are all that exist."
He lifted a hand and gently adjusted the black-framed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose. The sharp intelligence in his eyes settled once more into still, unfathomable calm, as though his earlier reaction had never happened.
"But unfortunately…"
"Squad Zero not only exists—they stand above the Gotei Thirteen in strength. They are known as the Royal Guard."
Anticipation gleamed in Aizen's eyes, as if he could already see the moment when he would clash with them in the near future.
"They exist to protect the so-called 'Soul King,' don't they?" Ichimaru Gin asked, eyes half-lidded, his tone casual.
The Soul King…
To Gin, something that abstract held little meaning.
Invade the Royal Palace?Defeat Squad Zero?
Sorry, but long before it ever got that far, I'd have already found my chance to kill Aizen.
"That's correct," Aizen replied, giving a slight nod. "Once they fall, the Royal Palace will be left completely exposed. And the Soul King will lose all protection."
His voice was flat, yet filled with unmistakable excitement.
Aizen Sōsuke—whose ambition reached higher than the heavens themselves—had long since grown unwilling to remain a mere chess piece in a world ruled by the Soul King, especially after attaining the pinnacle of Shinigami power.
And so…
No matter the cost.
Even if it took centuries of meticulous planning.Even if it meant discarding every unnecessary emotion.Even if it required endless deception, day and night.
As long as he could replace the Soul King, it would all be worth it.
And now, the appearance of the "ranking subtitles" only fueled Aizen's fighting spirit further. Even knowing full well that a traitor lurked among those at his side, he calmly revealed his thoughts.
The reason was simple.
Aizen believed he controlled everything.
In the future, on the road to the throne of heaven, once the mystery of how Ichimaru Gin intended to kill him was finally revealed, Aizen would cut him down without hesitation.
He was certain of one thing—
On the path to the King's Seat, he needed no one but himself.
...
Elsewhere.
The First Division barracks.
Much like Aizen's side, two old men here were equally caught off guard.
"Nimaiya Ōetsu…"
"To think I'd hear that ancient name again after all these years," the Captain-Commander murmured, exhaustion creeping into his voice. "The future grows harder and harder for this old man to read."
In truth, Unohana Retsu could infer fragments of what was yet to come through subtle details. And the Captain-Commander, far older and having gazed upon the passage of ages themselves, was no less capable.
It was simply that, in pride befitting a "thousand-year Shinigami," he refused to acknowledge his own death in the future.
"Captain-Commander, this is bad!" Sasakibe Chōjirō said, breaking into a sweat. "The Royal Palace has been a forbidden secret sealed away for a thousand years. Now that it's suddenly been exposed, it's bound to bring even more unknown risks!"
"So what?" the Captain-Commander shot back calmly. "The future's already been laid bare, hasn't it? Is there any way to stop it from happening?"
There wasn't.
If this had been at the very beginning, before any of these rankings had appeared, the old man's stubborn and domineering nature would've dismissed it all outright.
But after so many rounds of revelations—after learning of so many grim futures yet to come—he was already worn down.
If even he was destined to fall someday, then an invasion of the Royal Palace hardly seemed shocking anymore.
"Still…"Sasakibe opened his mouth to say more, but when he sensed the Captain-Commander's subdued mood, he swallowed the words back down.
"Chōjirō, let's keep watching," the Captain-Commander said quietly. "Ōetsu's appearance won't be a coincidence. Perhaps he alone managed to repel the invaders of the Royal Palace."
His tone was heavy with meaning.
As for Ōetsu's strength, he felt no worry at all.
One of the oldest beings in Soul Society, Nimaiya Ōetsu was the man who created the Zanpakutō. Every Zanpakutō wielded by the Gotei Thirteen had been forged by his hands.
In the depths of the Captain-Commander's ancient memories, he could still recall—
Back when he was young, he had once been defeated by Ōetsu's blade, Ikyō Shikibō.
Because of that, the Captain-Commander firmly believed that even if the future demanded his own sacrifice, Squad Zero would not fall.
If not Ōetsu, then someone else among them would surely stand up.
...
Elsewhere still.
The Silver-frame Citadel of the Wandenreich.
"Nimaiya Ōetsu…"
"Squad Zero, huh? The legendary Royal Guard?" Someone sneered. "Calling himself the God of the Blade—pretty damn arrogant."
Unlike the emotional reactions of Aizen or the Captain-Commander, the moment the new subtitles appeared, every member of the Sternritter gathered here instinctively radiated hostility.
Yes.
In the Wandenreich's plan for revenge, destroying the Gotei Thirteen was only the first step. Following Yhwach, they would also seize the Royal Palace.
Which meant—
Just like Aizen, they had known of Squad Zero's existence for a long time. What they lacked was information: how many there were, and what kind of monsters they truly were.
"Our morale was taking a serious hit. This ranking on Squad Zero came at just the right time," said Haschwalth, standing atop the high platform at the end of the palace hall, his silver cloak fluttering lightly as his cold expression eased.
Earlier, they had all witnessed the ranking of the first Kenpachi.
The terrifying Eight-Thousand-Style swordsmanship.The blood-soaked killing intent of Minazuki.
Even the arrogant Sternritter had found that overwhelming.
And before that, in an earlier ranking, Lille Barro had been killed outright by Kyōraku Shunsui's Bankai.
Because of all this, morale in the Silver-frame Citadel had sunk to its lowest point. Some had even begun to doubt whether their thousand-year-long revenge plan was truly feasible.
But now—
With the mysterious Squad Zero stepping into the spotlight, the pure-blood Quincy realized something.
The Royal Palace wasn't that far away after all.
Defeat Squad Zero, and it would be within reach.
This was the perfect chance to observe.
From the left side of the crowd, "the Heart of the Soul King," Gerard Valkyrie, mocked as always:
"The God of the Blade? How laughable. Let's see if he can withstand a single swing of my Sword of Victory."
"Tch…""I never believed I'd be killed by some mere Shinigami captain," Lille Barro said darkly. "When Squad Zero appears, you'll see me there."
The memory of being solo-killed by Kyōraku still humiliated him, earning him ridicule from his fellow Quincy.
But—
As the leader of the Schutzstaffel, Lille Barro had a strong premonition.
Within the Royal Palace, he would slaughter his way through and prove his power once and for all.
...
At the same time.
As the three realms were shaken to their core.
High above Soul Society's firmament, beyond seventy-two layers of barriers, in that hidden domain that could only be entered with the Oken—
An overwhelming sight stretched out before them.
The density of reishi here was terrifying beyond words.
Even vice-captain–level Soul Reapers would struggle to breathe the first time they stepped into this space, crushed by the pressure alone.
Within air as dense with reishi as a vast ocean, five Zero Division palaces floated in silence. From one of them came a burst of cheers:
"Woooah!!!"
"Oetsu, congratulations! You're the first one among us to make the list!"
"Yeah! The name of the 'Sword God' is about to echo across the Three Realms!"
"Idiot! Being first just means you're the weakest one on the list! What's there to congratulate? I don't feel honored at all!"
…
At that moment, inside the main hall of the Phoenix Palace, five figures sat together, all eyes fixed on the transparent light screen before them.
Among them was a man with punk-style curls, wearing a light-colored padded vest. Behind his sunglasses, his eyes gleamed with anticipation.
He was the focus of this ranking.
The master of the Phoenix Palace, and the creator of all Zanpakutō.
The Sword God, Nimaiya Oetsu.
Seeing his name appear, Oetsu's first reaction was surprise, quickly followed by excitement.
After all, the skill he was most proud of—his swordsmanship and blade-forging technique—had been honed for over two thousand years.
In the upcoming evaluation, surely he would steal the spotlight.
"..."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________