Chapter 61: The Descent of the Zero Division |
"!"
Genryusai Yamamoto's eyes narrowed as he looked down in stunned disbelief at the charred blade of Zanka no Tachi.
The Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 had initially thought Yeruashi might be suppressing his Bankai with some unique ability. It was utterly impossible to block the temperature of the sun's core with bare hands without taking any damage.
But...
According to his vision and spiritual perception, the blade of Zanka no Tachi continued to radiate a staggering 15 million degrees, exactly as it should.
Yet, that terrifying heat simply could not penetrate Yeruashi's finger!
It was as if a Shinigami were trying to strike an opponent with a vastly superior level of Reiatsu, failing to inflict even a scratch.
The problem was...
There was no way Yeruashi could possess a higher class of Reiatsu than his opponent—Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto!
In the history of the Soul Society, no soul had ever been born with a class of Reiatsu superior to Genryusai Yamamoto!
"What... what did you do?!"
Genryusai Yamamoto cast a stern gaze at Yeruashi, continuing to press the blade of Zanka no Tachi against the tip of his index finger.
Yeruashi, who had used a single finger to withstand the temperature of a star's core, replied nonchalantly, "Exactly what you see with your own eyes."
"Nonsense!"
Yamamoto’s eyes flared as sharp as a blade. He glared at the relaxed Yeruashi, abruptly pulling Zanka no Tachi back before launching another strike.
Was this brat really claiming he blocked Zanka no Tachi with his bare hands without relying on any special ability?!
Utterly preposterous!
Such a thing was simply impossible!
Clink!
In response to Yamamoto's follow-up attack, Yeruashi slightly curved his index finger and then casually flicked it against the approaching Zanka no Tachi.
The strongest Shinigami let out a fierce roar, gripping the hilt of the trembling Zanka no Tachi with both hands as hard as he could, trying to withstand the tyrannical force that slammed into him. Veins bulged on Yamamoto’s arms and then his entire body, a testament to the extreme tension in every muscle. Yet, in the end, the figure of the strongest Shinigami was sent flying backward like a cannonball, unable to stand before that insurmountable power.
In the distance.
Shunsui Kyoraku and the other Captains of the Gotei 13 were rooted to the spot.
Jushiro Ukitake watched the completely illogical and incredible progression of the battle with his mouth agape, seemingly forgetting his own illness for a moment.
Even the Captain of the Fifth Division, Sosuke Aizen, stood frozen, displaying a rare look of genuine shock and surprise.
'This... this is... it looks like he’s suppressing his opponent through sheer superiority in Reiatsu class! In such a situation, it doesn’t matter what the weaker side tries; any attack will fail to deal even the slightest damage...'
As an owner of one of the strongest Reiatsu among the Gotei 13 Captains, as well as a brilliant scholar with a deep understanding of the nature of spiritual energy, Sosuke Aizen immediately grasped the underlying reason for this outcome.
But that reason was so staggering and improbable that it caused even the calm and collected Aizen to feel a profound shock.
Now it made sense...
Now everything was clear!
This fully explained their inability to perceive Yeruashi's Reiatsu!
It wasn't that Yeruashi no longer possessed Reiatsu; it was that the Captains of the Gotei 13 were incapable of sensing Reiatsu of a much higher order! Just as a lower-class being is unable to sense the presence of a higher-class entity.
Yeruashi's Reiatsu had reached such a height that the Captains of the Gotei 13 would never be able to feel his presence unless he deliberately lowered his own level!
"Sigh..."
"That explains everything."
Aizen exhaled and whispered, watching Yeruashi's figure in the distance with unconcealed tension.
The problem was that every Captain of the Gotei 13, including Retsu Unohana and Genryusai Yamamoto, was in the same position!
This meant that Yeruashi stood at least a full tier above the strongest Shinigami of the Gotei 13!
Furthermore, Yeruashi was not only capable of effortlessly erasing the boundary between Hollows and Shinigami but could cause both the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo to tremble.
In that case...
There was only one possibility for his true identity.
At the same time, high in the sky, over a kilometer away from the stunned Captains.
"Zanka no Tachi, South: Great Army of the Dead!"
Genryusai Yamamoto roared as he thrust the blade of Zanka no Tachi into the empty space before him. Intertwining tongues of fire immediately stretched out from him in every direction.
Then, amidst those flames, a massive amount of ash appeared, taking the form of various skeletons. This vast and terrifying infernal army of skeletons—consisting of the countless enemies the strongest Shinigami had turned to ash with his Zanpakuto—rushed toward Yeruashi, emitting a frightening pulse of Reiatsu.
However.
Faced with the rapid approach of this countless skeletal army, Yeruashi merely took a calm step forward. Following that seemingly mundane and leisurely movement, the vast army of skeletons abruptly froze in place before crumbling into ash once more!
From the beginning to the end of that movement, Yeruashi's figure never emitted a single pulse of Reiatsu.
Yet.
This shocking display was accompanied by a faint, tyrannical pressure, as if Yeruashi were one with the world itself. It was as if the Great Army of the Dead had been crushed by the world!
The Shinigami robes covering the lower half of Genryusai Yamamoto’s body fluttered and swayed along with his long gray beard in the fierce gust of wind that accompanied Yeruashi's simple, raw movement.
Genryusai Yamamoto gritted his teeth and shouted loudly, resisting the tyrannical impulse of his opponent's attack.
"Zanka no Tachi, West: Zanjitsu Gokui!"
Boom!
Numerous tongues of fire, possessing temperatures so high they were invisible to the naked eye, engulfed the strongest Shinigami, transforming him into something akin to a star.
Genryusai Yamamoto, bathed in a terrifying sea of flames reaching 15 million degrees, truly resembled a miniature star.
The mere heat wave reaching the Captains in the distance brought them an overwhelming sense of oppression.
But.
Facing Genryusai Yamamoto, who floated amidst a sea of burning Reiatsu capable of rivaling a real star, Yeruashi... simply exhaled.
Words could hardly describe the terrifying blast of wind that enveloped the space before Yeruashi and the flaming figure of Genryusai Yamamoto.
Whoooooosh!!!
This violent gust of wind, like the massive release of energy accompanying a supernova, first ripped to shreds and then completely extinguished the Zanjitsu Gokui that had cloaked Genryusai Yamamoto.
"Aaaaaah..."
Genryusai Yamamoto swung Zanka no Tachi against this frightening storm, letting out a savage, fierce roar.
But.
In the end, the strongest of Shinigami suffered a crushing defeat, even though he had pushed the eruption of his gargantuan Reiatsu to its absolute limit.
Yamamoto, unable to maintain his balance, was carried several hundred meters away by that terrifying storm, like a fallen autumn leaf caught in a weak breeze.
In the distance.
Shunsui Kyoraku and the other Gotei 13 Captains emitted powerful pulses of Reiatsu in an attempt to withstand Yeruashi's attack, even though they weren't the primary target.
Nevertheless, they one by one began to lose their footing and were blown back a great distance like fallen leaves, just as Genryusai Yamamoto had been moments before.
After several futile attempts to regain his balance, the strongest Shinigami first gripped the hilt of Zanka no Tachi with both hands, simultaneously tracking his opponent's location. Then, he fiercely swung the blade toward Yeruashi with a savage roar.
"Zanka no Tachi, North: Tenchi Kaijin!"
Boom!
Accompanied by Yamamoto’s cry, a massive stream of concentrated heat and flame surged toward Yeruashi.
This torrent of concentrated fire split the world in two, generating incredible heat that seemed capable of turning everything in its path to ash—including the world itself.
Every speck of Reishi in the path of this concentrated heat rapidly melted into nothingness, like winter snowflakes under the rays of a summer sun.
However.
Yeruashi remained calm, not even bothering to lift a hand as the terrifying attack reached him. He merely offered a confident smile, allowing the concentrated flow of heat and solar flame to engulf his body.
Under the influence of the wave of terrifying heat and flame, Yeruashi's silver-white hair blew back and his clothes billowed as if caught in a strong wind, but even now, they showed no signs of burning or turning to ash!
Yeruashi didn't burden himself with blocking Yamamoto's attack because there was simply no need. Could Reiatsu that merely imitated a tiny star through extreme concentration harm a true star?
Furthermore.
At this moment, Yeruashi was on the path to an even higher level.
Soon.
As the heat and stellar flames gradually faded, Yeruashi’s figure emerged, standing as if nothing had happened in the sky above the Seireitei. The only result of Genryusai Yamamoto's strongest attack was that a few silver-white hairs had silently fallen from Yeruashi's head.
The Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, meanwhile, struggled to regain his balance several kilometers away from where he had clashed with Yeruashi.
His Shinigami uniform, which covered his lower body, was torn to pieces. His long gray beard and eyebrows were nearly half-destroyed. His upper body, scarred from many battles, and his bald head, marked by wrinkles, were covered in numerous bruises and abrasions. Multiple streams of blood mingled with sweat ran down his head and torso, while the intensity of his massive Reiatsu had weakened significantly.
"You..."
Genryusai Yamamoto ground his teeth, staring at Yeruashi in the distance.
In the end, the Captain-Commander said nothing more, but his expression mirrored those of the other Gotei 13 Captains.
'Old man Yamamoto's Zanka no Tachi... had absolutely no effect...'
'How... is that even possible...'
The straw hat and pink kimono of the Eighth Division Captain were badly damaged, but the result of the clash was so shocking that he didn't care at all about his appearance or the proper conduct of a Gotei 13 Captain.
Retsu Unohana carefully sheathed her Zanpakuto and closed her eyes, mentally reaching a final judgment regarding the current situation that was identical to Aizen's.
Silence.
Yeruashi looked up at the sky instead of attacking the exhausted and battered Genryusai Yamamoto.
Shunsui Kyoraku and the other Gotei 13 Captains, their attention focused entirely on Yeruashi, involuntarily followed his gaze.
There, they witnessed a powerful ripple in space, clearly visible to the naked eye.
Then.
In the middle of the firmament, a massive white pillar suddenly appeared, crashing down with a thunderous roar into the heart of the Seireitei.
Genryusai Yamamoto, Shunsui Kyoraku, Jushiro Ukitake... all the Gotei 13 Captains, except for the younger ones like Kaname Tosen and Sajin Komamura, cast knowing glances at the suddenly appearing pillar, as if they had been expecting it.
"They have arrived."
Aizen bowed his head and whispered, hiding his gaze and expression from the surrounding Captains.
This massive white pillar, falling suddenly from the heavens, was known as the Heavenly Pillar.
The Heavenly Pillar was the most common method of travel for members of the Zero Division between dimensions.
There was no need for further commentary on the identities of those who had arrived in the Seireitei with this imposing column.
The members of the Zero Division had arrived!