Hasumi Ren looked up. He knew he would be discovered when he intercepted the Auswählen power with Absolute Devour, but he hadn't expected Yhwach to directly offer him a position.
"I refuse."
Yhwach was not angered. He merely rubbed the surface of the Medallion with his finger.
"You possess the power of a Quincy within you. This ability is something I have spent hundreds of years searching for, to no avail."
He took a step forward, Reishi condensing into translucent stairs beneath his feet.
Yhwach opened his arms toward Hasumi Ren.
"Come with me. Come to my side."
"Not as a subordinate, but as my successor. After me, everything belonging to the Quincy will be yours."
Yhwach's voice echoed, and the battlefield fell silent for a moment as everyone's expressions shifted in shock.
"I am a Shinigami. I have no interest in your Quincy affairs."
Hasumi Ren's response rang out. Yhwach looked at the unyielding young man and chuckled lightly.
"You still do not know the origin of the power within you, but I am still willing to give you one more chance."
He raised his hand, and the blue torrent of Auswählen gradually dissipated.
"But if, in the end, you still refuse to stand by my side," Yhwach clenched his five fingers, "then I will have no choice but to destroy you."
The torrent of Auswählen erupted in his palm.
Two silhouettes reformed from the light.
Gerard Valkyrie. Lille Barro.
The two knelt on one knee before Yhwach, their Spiritual Pressure brimming with vigor once more.
"Your Majesty."
Kyoraku stood up from the rubble, blood seeping from the wound on his shoulder.
He looked at the two figures, his mouth twitching.
"What is this? I fought so hard just now, and they simply resurrect just like that?"
Yamamoto's grip on Ryujin Jakka tightened by a fraction.
His Bankai had just been stolen, leaving only the flames of his Shikai burning on the blade.
But he stood firm.
Yhwach glanced at the two men beside him and frowned slightly.
"Where is Pernida? Since a moment ago, I could only faintly sense its soul, but I cannot recall it. What happened?"
Haschwalth stepped forward and spoke in a low voice.
"Pernida was absorbed by a Shinigami named Aizen, using something called the Hogyoku."
Yhwach's frown deepened.
"Hogyoku?"
If it could devour the Left Arm of the Soul King, then the power of this object could not be underestimated.
To think that something like this was hidden in the current Soul Society.
"Aizen..."
Yhwach committed the name to memory.
Fortunately, Pernida still vaguely flickered within his perception, meaning it had not completely vanished yet, though the situation was far from optimistic.
It seemed he needed to find this man named Aizen.
Hearing this name, Yamamoto's gaze shifted from Yhwach to Haschwalth.
"What did you just say? Aizen... Aizen Sosuke of the Fifth Division?"
Haschwalth sneered.
Standing beside Yhwach, he looked down at Yamamoto condescendingly.
"Yamamoto Shigekuni, I fear you still don't know that the mastermind behind your Captain Hollowfication incident is Aizen Sosuke."
"The power of Kyoka Suigetsu has been playing all of you for fools."
Yamamoto's pupils contracted.
The flames of Ryujin Jakka surged to twice their size, the intense heat cracking the stone slabs beneath his feet.
"Pure nonsense."
Standing on the flank, Hasumi Ren could feel Yamamoto's Spiritual Pressure trembling.
Yhwach observed Yamamoto's reaction, then looked at the Medallion in his hand.
The Bankai of Zanka no Tachi was sealed within it.
Now Yamamoto only had his Shikai. His strength was more than halved, like a tiger devoid of its fangs.
Unfortunately, Yhwach's own condition was lacking at the moment.
After all, he had just awakened, and his soul's functions were still sluggish. Even though the power recalled by Auswählen was surging within him, it had not been fully digested.
Clashing head-on with Yamamoto now was not the wisest choice.
"A pity," Yhwach tucked the Medallion into his robes. "Even though I have taken your Bankai, now is not the time to kill you."
Yhwach raised his hand, and the shadow domain spread from beneath his feet, swallowing him, Haschwalth, and the two resurrected Quincies into the darkness.
"Let these Shinigami jump around a little longer. When we return, it will be the end of the Soul Society."
Yamamoto slashed out. The flames of Ryujin Jakka cleaved the air and erupted, leaving a massive swath of scorch marks where the shadow domain had closed.
But ultimately, the strike hit nothing.
After the shadow domain closed, Yhwach and his subordinates completely vanished into the shadows.
Hasumi Ren used Shunpo to cross the distance, staring at the dissipating Reishi residue on the ground.
"They are no longer in the shadow domain."
"Then where could they have gone? Could it be..."
Ren turned to look at Yamamoto.
"The Soul Society."
Yamamoto's voice sank to rock bottom.
"All hands, hear my orders! Except for the immobile wounded who will stay behind, everyone else is to return to the Soul Society immediately!"
He turned and charged toward the entrance connecting the shadow domain and the Soul Society.
Ren followed closely behind. Kyoraku, clutching his wound, trailed them, and the other Captains who could still move followed suit.
The Seireitei.
White bones littered the stone paths.
Fragments of Quincy uniforms hung from broken walls, and smoke still billowed from many buildings.
As they passed through the entrance, the scent of Quincy Reishi still lingered in the passageway.
The squad members who had stayed behind were clearing the battlefield, many dragging the wounded to the rear.
Sasakibe Chojiro stood on the steps at the entrance of the First Division. The sleeve of his Shihakusho was torn halfway off, revealing bandages wrapped around his forearm.
Seeing Yamamoto leading the team back, he stood up.
"Sasakibe, report the situation within the Seireitei. Have you seen any other Quincies, or any trace of Yhwach?"
Sasakibe replied in a deep voice.
"Head Captain, Quincies suddenly appeared and attacked the Seireitei, but midway through, an Auswählen suddenly occurred."
"After the Auswählen, almost all enemies lost their combat capability, leaving only a few to flee. The garrison troops are clearing the battlefield, but... no traces of Yhwach have been found."
Yamamoto swept his gaze over the surrounding ruins.
"Thoroughly search the Seireitei. Yhwach just came through the shadow domain; he couldn't have gone far."
The various divisions received their orders and dispersed.
Yamamoto called out to Hasumi Ren, who was about to leave.
"Just now, the Quincy mentioned Aizen, saying he was involved in the Captain Hollowfication incident."
Yamamoto's voice was very low.
"You have had contact with this matter before. Go find Aizen and confirm the situation. But be absolutely careful."
Ren nodded.
He hadn't expected Aizen's secrets to reach Yamamoto's ears through the mouths of the Quincies.
However, sending him to find Aizen was indeed picking the right person for the job.
Ren departed via Shunpo and soon arrived within the Fifth Division barracks.
Unfortunately, Aizen was not there.
Ren immediately left the Seireitei, heading toward the barren mountains west of the Rukongai.
He knew the location of Aizen's secret base by heart. Aizen had relocated and set up a new laboratory.
The new entrance was hidden in a mountain col. The barrier was highly concealed, but Ren passed through it effortlessly and walked into the interior of the mountain.
Aizen stood in front of the laboratory table, his back to the door, the Hogyoku floating before him.
The luster of the Hogyoku had changed, its internal Reishi structure still slowly reorganizing.
The digestion of Pernida's power was not yet complete, but some distinct changes were already visible.
To Ren's surprise, however, there were several people standing opposite Aizen.
Yhwach.
The two parties stood a few paces apart, silently confronting each other.
Yhwach looked at Aizen, his gaze lingering on the Hogyoku for a moment.
He could sense what was sealed within that prism.
Pernida's remnants were inside, not yet fully digested.
"I didn't expect Pernida to ultimately fall into your hands."
"Taking what is mine without even a word of greeting... Shinigami these days are truly ill-mannered."
Aizen smiled faintly.
"Invading my laboratory silently from the shadows... you are no different, Yhwach."
Yhwach's tone was incredibly calm.
"Aizen, you went through such great lengths to create the Hogyoku. What is your goal?"
Aizen unhurriedly retrieved the Hogyoku into its sealing container.
"The Soul King Palace."
Yhwach let out a scoff.
"Arrogant. A mere Shinigami Vice-Captain dares to dream of ascending to the Soul King Palace."
Aizen adjusted his glasses, the glare on the lenses obscuring his eyes.
"Is that not your goal as well? Why do I feel that I have a better chance of achieving it before you do?"
Yhwach stared at Aizen for several seconds.
At that moment, the sound of footsteps echoed.
Both sides turned their heads simultaneously, only to see Hasumi Ren standing at the entrance of the laboratory.
Everyone sized each other up, and the atmosphere instantly froze.
"I didn't expect Vice-Captain Aizen's place to be so lively."
Ren spoke first.
The next moment, however, Yhwach let out a laugh.
"What a coincidence to meet again so soon. What, have you thought it through and decided to join us?"
Aizen raised an eyebrow. He looked at Yhwach, then at Ren.
"Since when do Quincies take an interest in Shinigami?"
Yhwach turned his head to look at Aizen.
"What does that have to do with you?"
"Instead, hand over the Hogyoku in your possession. Perhaps then I might consider sparing your life and letting you join us as a researcher."
Aizen smiled faintly, though his expression darkened.
"The Hogyoku cannot be handed over to you."
Yhwach snorted coldly. His Spiritual Pressure suddenly erupted, the shockwave snapping his robes wildly in the air.
'If you won't give it to me, then I'll take it!'
He raised his hand, Heilig Pfeil condensing in his palm. Three blue arrows wrapped in high-density Reishi shot toward Aizen in a rapid triple volley.
Aizen raised his hand.
"Bakudo Number Eighty-One, Danku."
A transparent defensive wall deployed before him.
The three Heilig Pfeil struck Danku, exploding into a ring of shockwaves that sent the surrounding lab tables rattling.
Yhwach's second wave of attacks had already arrived.
Six more Heilig Pfeil flew forward, this time scattered, sealing off all of Aizen's evasion routes.
Aizen did not dodge.
Standing in place, his right index finger drew an arc in the air.
The defensive wall of Danku bent accordingly, morphing from a flat plane into a curved shield, seamlessly blocking all six arrows.
Aizen thrust his left hand forward, spreading his five fingers.
"Hado Number Ninety, Kurohitsugi."
A black cube rose from beneath Yhwach's feet, sealing him entirely within.
Shadow blades slashed wildly inside the cube, accompanied by the ear-piercing screech of grinding metal.
Three seconds later, the black coffin shattered. Yhwach stood where he was; his robes sported a few new tears, but the bloody marks on his skin were already slowly healing.
He glanced down at the tear on his cuff.
"A Kurohitsugi without an incantation? The power is acceptable."
Seeing this, Aizen frowned slightly.
He hadn't expected Kurohitsugi to deal such limited damage to the man before him.
His right hand had already woven the Spiritual Pressure for a new Kido.
"Hado Number Ninety-One, Senju Koten Taiho."
Dozens of light bullets blasted outward, weaving a net of devastating firepower within the cramped laboratory.
Yhwach retreated continuously, the light bullets chasing after him and smashing into the ground.
He raised his hand, condensing a Reishi barrier to block several frontal shots, but the light bullets from the side grazed his shoulder, scorching a small patch of his robes.
"Interesting."
Yhwach clawed his five fingers through the air, instantly draining the Reishi of the entire laboratory in one breath.
He compressed the extracted Reishi in his palm, forging it into a short javelin.
The tip of the javelin gleamed with a cold light, the surrounding air rippling under the sheer density of the Reishi.
He hurled the javelin, and Aizen thrust out both hands.
He stacked three layers of Danku. The first two layers were pierced cleanly through, and the third barely managed to catch the tip of the javelin. However, the Reishi on the shaft detonated, blowing away Danku and sending Aizen flying along with it.
Aizen stumbled back a few steps.
"Bakudo Number Sixty-One, Rikujo Koro."
Six slabs of light slammed into Yhwach's waist, locking him in place for half a second.
The moment Yhwach shattered the light slabs, Aizen had already teleported behind him.
"Hado Number Eighty-Eight, Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho."
A massive pillar of lightning blasted from his palm, scoring a direct hit on Yhwach's back.
The impact launched him forward, smashing him through the stone wall of the laboratory and carving a trench several meters long into the mountain outside.
Rubble tumbled, and dust billowed into the air.
Yhwach stood up from the pile of rubble.
A massive hole was burned into the back of his robes, revealing unblemished skin beneath.
He dusted off the stone powder on his shoulder and looked at Aizen.
"Your mastery of Kido is quite impressive."
"But sadly, this is as far as it goes..."
Yhwach was about to strike again when he suddenly stopped.
His gaze shifted toward the laboratory entrance; his perception caught something rapidly approaching.
Yamamoto Shigekuni's Spiritual Pressure was closing in fast.
"A pity. We will end it here for today."
Yhwach withdrew his Spiritual Pressure, and the shadow domain spread from beneath his feet.
"We will meet again in the future."
The darkness swallowed Yhwach and his subordinates, their Spiritual Pressure completely vanishing from the laboratory.
A moment later, Yamamoto Shigekuni arrived.
He stood outside the shattered hole, peering inside.
But in his eyes, there was only an ordinary, unremarkable cave, and Yhwach's Spiritual Pressure had disappeared entirely.
Yamamoto frowned. He glanced at the completely normal surroundings—cleverly concealed by Kyoka Suigetsu—and turned to leave.
Yamamoto's Spiritual Pressure gradually faded into the distance.
Aizen stepped out from the illusion of Kyoka Suigetsu and stood beside Hasumi Ren.
He had been standing not far from Yamamoto just now, yet Yamamoto had seen nothing.
Aizen dusted off his cuffs.
He took out the Hogyoku.
The blue light reflected on his face. The Reishi structure inside the Hogyoku had begun to stabilize.
Pernida's power was being thoroughly digested, and its new energy density far surpassed what it was before.
Aizen looked at Ren.
"Hasumi Ren, why did you appear here?"
Ren looked back at him.
"Head Captain Yamamoto sent me to check on you. The Quincies told him about your actions. Vice-Captain Aizen, you have been exposed."
"Is that so... It doesn't matter, though."
Aizen thought for a moment, before a smile graced his face once more.
"No one could have anticipated that the ultimate beneficiary of this war would be me."
"With things as they are, there is no need to continue lurking within the Soul Society. It is time to begin the next phase."
"The Hogyoku is almost complete."