"Comrades! We were born for His Majesty, and we shall die for His Majesty!"
"The time has come for us to serve Him! Is there anything more worthy than offering up our insignificant lives?"
"To kill, to die in battle, to have our souls return to His Majesty's hand—this is the destiny of all Quincies!"
The speech thundered through the square, preaching an extreme devotion. But the gathered crowd looked more uneasy than inspired—fear and hesitation were etched on many faces.
Indeed, within the Wandenreich, not everyone was a battle-hardened zealot. Like any nation, there were also "ordinary" people among them.
Watching this unfold, Seiya recalled scenes from the anime: Yhwach executing disobedient Quincies in cold blood.
"Resentment without resistance… must they just accept this fate?"
It felt like witnessing a scripted cutscene in a one-player game.
The orator's high-pitched fervor drew Seiya and Uryū's attention, their gazes naturally meeting as they exchanged knowing looks.
With animated gestures and fanatic eyes, the speaker resembled a cult leader, prompting Uryū to comment with disdain as he adjusted his glasses:
"Feels like a religious nutcase…"
A sharp contrast to someone like Ichigo—who would've probably responded with a blunt "what the hell is this guy saying?"
But Seiya's focus wasn't on the speech. He was analyzing the speaker himself.
The Sternritter, the elite Quincy group formed by Yhwach, had once gone to war with Yamamoto Genryūsai's Gotei 13. That war's result was… well-known.
Now, it seemed, the Sternritter were being rebuilt.
Seiya's memory offered fragments of the original story. Although there was still the "Fullbring" arc before the Thousand-Year Blood War truly began, that gap was barely half a month.
Judging by the timeline and Uryū's quiet behavior in canon, the Wandenreich was already preparing for war.
And that man speaking passionately in the square?
Quilge Opie.
In the original story, he was not only a Sternritter, but a recipient of one of Yhwach's sacred letters—an elite in every sense.
"Let's go," Seiya said. "We shouldn't waste time here."
To reach Yhwach, to navigate the Wandenreich, and to find the power they needed—they had better options.
Seiya lingered for a moment, but Uryū urged him along.
"I have no interest in this lunatic."
Clearly, Uryū didn't think Quilge was worth his time. And frankly, none of the Sternritter seemed normal.
Just as they turned to leave, the surrounding crowd suddenly and silently blocked their path.
"Gentlemen, please wait a moment."
The booming, theatrical voice was unmistakable.
Quilge Opie approached slowly, arms outstretched, an amused look on his face.
"With spirit pressure that strong, you can't be just some backwater nobodies."
"Now that I've noticed such powerful auras, it would be highly unprofessional of me to ignore you."
"So—won't you introduce yourselves, honored guests?"
He wore a military cap and rounded goggles with a communicator. His gaunt face, drooping eyebrows, and thin lips gave him a sharp, hawkish appearance. Tilting his head slightly, he gazed at them through the corner of his lenses.
"I am Quilge Opie, as you see—a member of the Sternritter and your recruitment officer today."
He was also the man who had once led the attack on Hueco Mundo.
Though in the manga he'd only managed to defeat a weakened, conquered land, here his strength was no joke.
"So, what's the plan, Uryū?" Seiya asked.
Uryū only scoffed and cast him a subtle glance.
"I don't recall being that close with you."
True to Ishida family tradition—aloof, blunt, and cold—Uryū stepped forward, shielding Seiya.
There were plenty of things to mock here, but now wasn't the time. Right now, the priority was dealing with the interloper.
"If we're all Quincies, we should speak in a way we all understand."
He raised his right hand.
Visible Reishi swirled through the air, forming a glowing blue shape beside him.
A Quincy Bow—manifested Reishi, the basic power of the Quincy.
This was a deliberate, symbolic gesture. Not because Uryū couldn't attack faster—but to show his stance.
An open challenge.
Quilge's smirk twitched—clearly caught off guard by Uryū's boldness—but he laughed it off, eyes gleaming.
"I see."
"You choose to speak through power—how refreshing. This style suits my taste quite well… Very good! State your name, intruder!"
Polite in tone—but the tension was palpable.
His form flickered. Blue Reishi twisted through the air as tiny platforms formed and vanished, letting him skip through space effortlessly.
Hirenkyaku.
The Quincy flash step—faster than the eye could track.
Bolts of blue light surged toward Uryū. He leapt and twisted to evade.
"Fall back!" shouted the surrounding guards.
The Sternritter recruits scattered, forming a perimeter. Despite their panic, they moved with impressive discipline.
'Even rookies are well trained. Quilge may be a fanatical teacher—but an effective one.'
Arrows rained down in a continuous barrage. Blue flashes lit up the sky as the two Quincies danced across the battlefield.
It was a pure Quincy duel—graceful yet deadly. Reishi flowed freely, manipulated into projectiles and defenses.
But… something felt off.
Quilge's movements were lighter—more refined?
Seiya noticed it and ducked instinctively.
An arrow "strayed" from the main fight—aimed straight for his head. It exploded against the ground, carving a crater half a meter wide.
"Oh, sorry about that."
"Even someone like me slips sometimes…"
"But of course, I'm ready to accept your fury. Come at me—both of you, if you'd like!"
It was a blatant provocation.
Was Quilge stronger than Uryū?
The casual ease with which he moved suggested as much.
Uryū's brow furrowed, his frustration clear.
First clash—and he was already on the back foot?
Seiya watched carefully.
'It's not just the soles of his feet—he's forming platforms across a wide area for movement. Wasteful, but incredibly effective.'
Then—
Thwip!
Uryū caught an arrow midair—a Holy Arrow, marked with a glowing five-point star.
Not the same.
Quilge's arrows burned brighter, pulsed with more volatile energy.
This must be one of Yhwach's gifts.
Power shared through blood—enhancing strength, skills, even fundamentals.
No wonder so many followed Yhwach. He was, in every sense, their Holy Father.
Seiya's thoughts were cut off by a thud. A figure fell from the sky—slamming into the ground.
Smoke and dust rose.
From it emerged Uryū—battered, bloodied.
His right arm hung limp. His face was bruised, his glasses gone. His uniform torn at the shoulder, revealing ragged wounds.
Defeated—but not surprising.
Right now, Uryū had only recently recovered his Quincy powers. He wouldn't reach peak strength until he joined the Sternritter and received his own Schrift.
Compared to that, this was just an early trial.
Seiya moved to help—but Uryū batted him away.
"I'm not done yet."
Stubbornness was clearly hereditary.
Seiya tried to speak—but Uryū was already binding his wounds, grimacing as he stood.
With a flash of Reishi, he leapt skyward again, eyes locked on Quilge.
It was unexpected—but admirable.
Uryū wasn't here to play games.
He had two goals: grow stronger, and kill.
With that mindset, fear had no place.
Quilge watched his approach with amusement.
"Nice spirit. Your skills aren't bad either… but it's a shame."
"These outdated tactics won't match us. You remind me of those old-timers from centuries ago."
Mockery disguised as nostalgia.
Was Uryū mad? Maybe. But he was definitely faster now.
Reishi gathered in the air—thickening into clouds of shimmering blue.
Uryū shouted.
"Rain of Light!"
Here it came.
Just like Ichigo's Getsuga Tenshō—this was Uryū's signature technique. Used since the earliest days, and still part of his core arsenal.
Arrows rained like a storm, dense and inescapable. Even Hirenkyaku couldn't dodge them all.
Quilge's face finally changed. He hadn't expected this.
Engulfed by the blue downpour, his silhouette vanished in the radiant deluge.
A moment later, a body fell.
A crash. Smoke.
Then—a voice from the haze.
"As expected, you reek of that old Quincy staleness."
"How curious. You don't belong in the Wandenreich…"
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Powerstones?
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