"Hmph."
"Died so easily, huh?"
Shikiba Ganryu stood still, gazing at the distant horizon, where the clash between Shinigami and Quincy forces echoed with roars and screams.
However, in that instant, all sounds were drowned out by a distant explosion.
The captains, already alerted by Unohana Yachiru's disappearing Reishi, instantly understood his fate upon hearing the blast.
"He was noisy even in death..."
Shikiba Ganryu flicked his long fingernail, casually cleaning his ear.
"Kill—"
A reckless Quincy charged forward.
Before he could swing his 'Soul Cutter,' Shikiba Ganryu sliced him into eight pieces with a single stroke.
Shikiba Ganryu, annoyed, wiped the blood off his blade and retorted:
"Nonsense!"
"I'm not sad at all!"
...
"Oh dear."
Saketora stood surrounded by a fog of insects, his wrinkled eyelids half-closed. His cloudy eyes reflected the Quincy being consumed by the black smoke.
"The noisy brat is finally quiet."
Just as he muttered, a tall figure approached.
Saketora chuckled lowly:
"Very well."
"Let this old man witness the power of the 'Soul King's force.'"
...
"Boom!"
Shihouin Shigeru charged at the front, his Reishi-covered limbs stained with blood.
Noticing Unohana Yachiru's Reishi disappear, he exclaimed:
"What?! That high Reishi vanished so quickly?!"
As a young head of the Five Great Noble Clans, he had only recently reached the edge of second-level Reishi control.
"Dangerous foes indeed."
"Thud!"
He punched down another Quincy, growling:
"Get lost!"
"Can't you see I'm busy?!"
...
The battlefields reacted differently to Unohana Yachiru's final explosion.
Though Fujimiya Makoto had warned the Gotei 13 about the Soul King's power, the vast difference in strength couldn't be overcome by determination alone.
Moreover, the Quincy possessed rule-based abilities, even harder to counter.
Having read the original story and witnessed the First Kenpachi's battle against Yhwach, Makoto knew the war's brutality. He was prepared.
But for others in this era, acceptance was harder.
The Seireitei War, spanning years, had only single-digit high-level casualties on both sides, mostly from Yamamoto's overwhelming strength.
This war was entirely different.
The Soul Society's disdain for the Human World's forces was secondary.
Only Fujimiya Makoto remained calm.
Noticing his expression, Katorī Bakunsai turned to him, her plain glasses reflecting curiosity.
"Makoto."
"Did you foresee this?"
"Not at all."
Makoto shook his head: "But after seeing the Quincy's ability, being a rule-based user myself, I had some guesses."
"If most Quincy are similar, there's a high chance of... monsters among them."
He struggled to find the right word.
"Like my Purification Ritual, rules are unrestricted."
"Applied correctly, they can unleash unstoppable attacks."
"Such 'rules' can only be countered by other 'rules.'"
Makoto's voice was heavy.
Though he anticipated casualties and withheld information to avoid the Soul King's suspicion, seeing a familiar person die still stirred his emotions.
Slightly regretful.
Katorī Bakunsai murmured:
"Rules...?"
Her fingers unconsciously touched her sword hilt.
The two entered the First Division barracks.
They had been summoned by Yamamoto when Unohana Yachiru's Reishi disappeared.
Their next orders were clear.
Indeed,
Yamamoto sat quietly, his sword across his lap.
Seeing them enter, he asked directly:
"Makoto."
"Can you defeat that enemy with your ability?"
"It depends on luck."
"If our rules counter each other, it would be ideal."
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni stared intently at the young man, his gaze probing, as if sensing his emotions.
Makoto met his gaze without flinching.
Finally, Yamamoto sighed: "If only you had more time to grow."
He firmly believed Makoto's talent could make him a rival, given time.
But...
The world wasn't that kind.
Hearing this, Makoto smiled:
"Rest assured, old man."
"My luck has always been good."
"So, leave it to me."
Yamamoto's expression turned resolute—he never hesitated, valuing no life, including his own.
"Fujimiya, Fifth Seat, your orders."
"Yes!"
Makoto knelt.
"Proceed to the Fifth Division's position and intercept the enemy!"
"Yes!"
...
Meanwhile,
Seireitei was in chaos due to rapid troop movements.
Mobilizing thousands should be easy for the Gotei 13, but post-war newcomers slowed things down.
"Hurry up!"
"Where are the backpacks and water bottles?"
"Are the supplies ready?"
"Report! This is the 13th Division reserve... oh, that's the 9th Division."
Voices overlapped.
Without standardized procedures, everyone acted independently.
Amidst this, an uninvited group infiltrated silently.
"Hey, Haschwalth."
"Is this really okay?"
Bazz-B whispered beside Haschwalth: "That's the Shinigami's headquarters, right?"
He glanced at the Quincy soldiers, hesitating.
"I'm not afraid..."
"But how can we fight such monsters with these troops?"
Bazz-B's voice was low, though unnecessary.
'Holy Letter B, Bambietta Basterbine,' their leader, never restricted them, only requiring they follow.
However, this group, chosen as Sternritter candidates or elite soldiers for the new empire, were all main force veterans.
Few, like Bazz-B, spread unease.
Haschwalth glanced at him, saying: "The Emperor doesn't want us to die."
"But..."
His gaze swept the group, occasionally landing on familiar faces, his expression darker than Bazz-B's.
"We'll likely lose this war."
"Hey!"
Bazz-B covered his mouth: "I was just joking! Don't say that!"
He glanced ahead at Bambietta, still walking without turning.
Relieved, he relaxed.
But Haschwalth remained serious, stating:
"Didn't you notice?"
"Everyone here, including us, is a Quincy prodigy, worthy of the Emperor's cultivation."
"Numerically, we match a Sternritter squad."
"Yet, we're with Bambietta."
Bazz-B realized, ignoring the soldiers and focusing on the strangers.
Still, he was skeptical: "But if we're valuable, why send us to... wait, are we hostages?!"
"Don't be foolish."
Haschwalth shook his head: "Only one survives between Shinigami and Quincy."
"Then..."
Bazz-B tried to ask more.
Haschwalth looked at the approaching Seireitei, saying:
"The most dangerous place is the safest."
"Right?"
"..."
"Huh?"
Bazz-B was stunned.
Before he could speak, Bambietta stopped.
She looked at Seireitei.
Her masked face emitted a muffled voice, pointing forward.
"Shadow."
"Invert!"
As she spoke, darkness engulfed their vision.
From the Soul King's palace, one could see space distort where Bambietta pointed, forming a solid shadow—a massive area covering Seireitei and its surroundings, carved into the 'shadow.'
The world inverted.
Yet, within this area, no Shinigami, not even Yamamoto or Makoto, noticed any change.
Only the young Quincy behind Bambietta were stunned.
Then, their sense of up and down reversed.
They fell like rain into the void of the shadowed ground.
"Whoosh—"
Haschwalth landed on his scythe.
He looked around at the familiar yet strange architecture, lost in thought.
He realized their fate.
They would likely spend their lives in this 'invisible' empire.
...
"Ha... ha..."
"A true monster."
Shihouin Shigeru gasped, his hand on the ground, his pale hair framing eyes filled with caution.
A terrible draw.
The pure white figure approached, ignoring Unohana Yachiru's death site.
Their rapid support team had unfortunately encountered this unknown enemy.
Bad luck, being targeted.
Fortunately, Louise hadn't exterminated all Shinigami near Unohana Yachiru, and knowing her abilities helped.
Otherwise, they might have been instantly defeated.
As he thought, Louise pressed her chest, her calm gaze sweeping the Shinigami line.
'Thud,' 'thud,' bodies fell endlessly.
Most Shinigami, inexperienced against rule-based abilities, couldn't avoid her gaze.
Shihouin Shigeru's veins bulged as he charged from her blind spot.
But Louise, as if guided, turned abruptly.
His heart skipped.
Shunpo·Empty Cicada!
As Louise turned, he vanished, leaving only a scarf.
He saw the scarf, floating mid-air, erased from the center like a rubber stamp.
Before he could adjust, Louise turned again.
Her moon-like eyes reflected his image, filled with calm disdain.
Doomed!
Shihouin Shigeru thought.
The next moment,
"Boom—"
A lightning-fast figure slammed into Louise's sculpted face, sending her flying into ruins.
Her face crumpled like paper, creating ripples.
Shihouin Shigeru was stunned.
Beside him, Fujimiya Makoto's mocking voice:
"Little tan guy, can you handle it?"
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