"He's already lost. Are you just going to stand there and watch?"
Kyoraku Shunsui lowered the brim of his hat, his gaze locked onto the black silhouette that was about to crash down onto the ground of Soul Society.
Even he, at this moment, couldn't recall the name of that shadow.
He vaguely felt that he should know it, and that he did know the person, but the name itself had already been forgotten.
However, he was certain of one thing. The one falling, just like Rosse and Aizen, was someone who had trampled recklessly over the old order.
"When a name is erased, it means the very concept of that existence has been denied. Who would care about a ghost that no longer even has a name?"
Aizen let out a soft chuckle. His eyes reflected the trajectory of the falling shadow, as if he were admiring a grand firework display. Only then did he murmur in a voice so faint it was almost inaudible, "Farewell, Yhwach."
The situation was already clear.
Even though Yhwach had absorbed all the power of the Sternritter, his revival had been far too rushed. His foundation was unstable.
Facing that man who ruled over the Royal Palace, Hyosube Ichibe, the current Yhwach still appeared immature.
Or more precisely, once that monk stopped holding back and revealed the true fangs of Squad Zero, Yhwach was utterly crushed.
This was not just an execution. It was a naked display of intimidation.
If Rosse and Aizen only caused minor disturbances in the lower world and didn't cross the Soul King's bottom line, Hyosube Ichibe might choose to ignore them.
But the moment they showed even the slightest intention of coveting the Soul King, that mass of ink now falling through the sky would be their final fate.
"Heh! The next one to have their name stripped away will be you or Rosse. Facing death, it's rare for you to stay this calm."
Kyoraku Shunsui found his mood oddly lighter at this moment.
For a long time, Rosse's unfathomable strength and flawless scheming mind had weighed on him like a mountain.
But what he was seeing now proved that their side wasn't completely at the mercy of others.
At the very least, up above in the distant Royal Palace, that monk still possessed power capable of resisting gods from another world.
"Worried? What do we have to be worried about?", Aizen's lips curled into a faint, amused smile.
"Kyoraku, you still haven't seen through it. If Ichibe truly had the confidence to kill Lord Rosse, he should be coming down right now, not waiting for us to go up."
He paused, his tone carrying a trace of contempt, as if he saw through everything.
"The more he delays, the more it proves his weakness. That monk has existed for a million years. His strength has already reached its limit. But as for me, and Lord Rosse, just how far we can grow in the future… who can predict that?"
"Time isn't necessarily on your side."
Kyoraku Shunsui let out a cold snort, cutting off Aizen's arrogance.
"No matter if it's a Soul Reaper or any other species, everything has its limits. If Rosse wasn't unable to break through that ceiling, why would he go through all this trouble to descend here?"
"Is that so? Then let's wait and see."
Aizen smiled as he turned around, no longer paying attention to the tragedy in the sky, and walked toward the Fifth Division barracks.
"Oh, right. In a little while, there'll be another grand performance, one enough to tear Soul Society apart. Stay by my side and enjoy it with me."
"Damn it, Aizen! Quit playing mysterious!"
Hirako Shinji, suppressing his anger, exploded again. He wanted to rush forward, but before he could even move, an overwhelming sense of weakness swept through his entire body.
This time, it wasn't just simple stillness.
In a single instant, the surging spiritual pressure within him, like a raging ocean, receded rapidly like a falling tide. In the end, it degenerated to the level of an ordinary Soul Reaper who couldn't even maintain Shikai.
"What kind of ability is this?"
Kyoraku Shunsui's expression changed sharply. He felt his connection with his Zanpakuto blur in an instant.
The ability of the Soul King's right arm was strange, but it was only absolute stillness. It didn't have this terrifying power that caused existence itself to regress.
"Just a small experiment."
Aizen's voice seemed to come from a distant void, filled with absolute control.
"Since the Hogyoku can grant others power according to its master's will, it can naturally reduce others' power as it pleases. As long as you stay within the Fifth Division, no one will notice you. And you won't need strength."
"Of course, if you want to go out, it's best to let me know in advance. I think you understand Lord Rosse's temperament better than I do. The entire Seireitei is now within his perception. And besides…"
Aizen's figure disappeared into the shadows, leaving behind only a light warning.
"Mr. Ishida Ryuken will be following you at all times."
That sense of powerlessness made the three of them feel a frustration they had never experienced before. Yet faced with this near rule-like suppression, they didn't even have the strength to draw their swords.
"Damn it! Just wait! Sooner or later, there'll be someone stronger who can deal with you lunatics!"
Hirako Shinji slammed his fist into the ground, but could only roar helplessly.
Not far away, in the shadows, Ishida Ryuken simply pushed up his glasses quietly. His gaze wasn't on the three of them, but instead looked meaningfully toward the direction where Yhwach had fallen.
When a whale falls, the whole habitat around it thrives.
After obtaining power that didn't belong to this world, Yhwach's death would never again turn into the reishi cycle of Soul Society like before.
Having been tainted by the laws of that world, once the energy after death became nourishment for reincarnation, it would flow away like rivers into the sea, never to return.
———
Meanwhile—
[Hueco Mundo, Central Royal Court of the Las Noches]
The air here was even heavier than in Soul Society, as if thick, viscous power flowed through it.
Rosse sat upon the supreme throne, his shadow cast downward, while several Espada stood respectfully below.
As Yhwach completely died, that immense energy, enough to shake the world, did not dissipate into the air. Instead, it was quietly devoured by some invisible maw.
That was the devouring from Rosse's world.
As the world devoured and grew, everyone present received a return from the world itself.
The will of the world had no good or evil, no thoughts. It only carried out the purest instinct, Evolution.
This return at this moment was the reward it granted these pioneers in order to expand its own existence.
Among them, the one whose change was the most intense, so drastic it could be called a qualitative transformation, was naturally Rosse himself upon the throne.
Originally, his strength had stabilized at the peak of SS+. As Hueco Mundo, the Human World, and Soul Society were gradually conquered and eroded by his will, his world became like an invisible net, completely covering the three realms and continuously devouring them.
Under this whale-like return, his strength finally broke through that hardest barrier and took the most critical half-step forward.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
— Rosse
— Power: 1.2 billion / 500 million (SSS·Pseudo) (Note: Advancing to SSS level requires the Heart of the World!)
— Fruit: Hito Hito no Mi, Mythical Zoan, Watatsumi form
— Zanpakuto: The Purifier
— Combat Skills: Three Types of Haki (SS), Swordsmanship (SS), Hand-to-hand Combat (SS), Kido (SS)...
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Although he lacked the most crucial Heart of the World needed to advance to SSS level, because he had not yet turned the Soul King into his origin, his life level had already stepped more than halfway into that domain that could be called divine.
Even though he had not fully transformed yet, as long as he could mobilize the power of his own world, the strength he could unleash in a short time was enough to reach true SSS level.
If it were the Soul King in his prime, perhaps he could still stand on equal footing with him.
But if it was only the current Soul King, reduced to a limbless state, along with a monk who could merely borrow the Soul King's power, they were no longer his opponents.
Rosse slowly opened his eyes. Within his deep blue pupils, it seemed as if a newborn world was taking shape.
"Next…"
He rose from the throne, his voice echoing through the vast hall.
"After finishing the final round of social practice, it will be time to ascend to the Royal Palace and be crowned."
———
Half a month passed quietly, like sand slipping through fingers.
On the surface, Soul Society seemed to have healed from the flames of Kyoraku Shunsui's defection, returning to its former calm.
The streets were clean. Order was maintained. Everything was progressing steadily for the better.
But beneath this calm surface, a world-shaking transformation was taking place.
Cracks visible to the naked eye appeared in the skies of the Human World and Hueco Mundo.
This was not physical spatial destruction, but a separation at the level of rules.
Like two stickers being forcibly torn off, these two worlds were disconnecting from Soul Society, slowly but steadily being refined by a higher-dimensional force, eventually turning into pure energy and merging into Rosse's world.
In fact, whether it was Hueco Mundo, the Human World, or Soul Society, at their core, they were nothing more than shells created by the Soul King.
These worlds themselves were not what he needed.
What he truly coveted was that heart still maintaining the operation of the three realms, the Soul King himself.
The Soul King was the true Heart of the World, the source of the world's operation, and the only nourishment for Rosse to step into a higher dimension.
Once his world completely devoured the full three realms, perhaps it could even give birth to an SSS-level being on its own.
But for Rosse, who already stood at the threshold of evolution, that would merely be icing on the cake.
As long as he obtained the Heart of the World, he would no longer need to rely on trades or equal contracts to gain the support of the world's will.
At that point, he would become the sole ruler, completely enslaving and dominating the will of the world. [T/N: HELL YEAH!]
Above the skies of Soul Society, a sudden change occurred.
The spiritual particle turbulence caused by the separation of the Human World and Hueco Mundo could not escape the eyes watching from the Royal Palace.
Doing nothing meant a slow death. Descending to battle in the lower world offered no guaranteed victory.
After a long silence, just as Rosse had predicted, the Royal Palace chose compromise and negotiation.
Two figures, carrying immense spiritual pressure, slowly descended from the unreachable heights above.
Having received the news, Rosse had already gathered all members of the Gotei 13 and stood in the plaza beneath the Sokyoku, waiting patiently.
However, this so-called full assembly looked extremely strange and chaotic.
At a glance, a dense sea of heads stretched like an out-of-control swarm of ants, extending to the edge of sight.
Since its founding, the total number of the Gotei 13 had never exceeded ten thousand.
Back then, the thirteen captains and their lieutenants could barely maintain order through prestige and strength.
In essence, these captains were mostly pure fighters who only knew how to swing their blades, not commanders skilled in management.
But now, after years of frenzied recruitment, the size of the Gotei 13 had expanded more than tenfold.
Even the traditionally lean Sixth Division had been crammed with nearly ten thousand members.
Such a massive base didn't just bring strength. It brought a complete collapse of the management system.
Standing above, Rosse watched coldly, taking in all the unrest below.
"Hey! You barbarians from the Eleventh Division, don't spit over here."
"What did you say? You think joining the Sixth Division makes you nobility? You think this place belongs to your family?"
Within the ranks, members of different divisions were no longer comrades fighting side by side. Instead, they shoved and cursed at each other like enemies.
Different divisions represented different beliefs and ways of thinking.
Especially during recruitment, captains and lieutenants chose people who matched their own temperament and that of their division.
When one group of like-minded people met another group with different ideas but equally united among themselves, the result was obvious.
Disliking each other was the norm. Getting along would be the strange thing.
The captains stood at the very front, their backs stiff.
The way they looked at the other captains carried a subtle tension.
Ever since Rosse declared that each division would handle its own affairs, the distance between them had grown.
When conflicts broke out between members, captains or lieutenants had to step in.
Especially when barracks were close together, the clashes became even more intense.
Once or twice was fine. But handling ten or twenty incidents a day, no one could stand that. Complaints toward other captains were inevitable.
Who else could they blame? Their own subordinates for defending their division? Or themselves?
By comparison, the Eleventh Division, under Zaraki Kenpachi's overwhelming dominance, had beaten everyone into submission and even welcomed fights outside. Their internal order was actually among the best.
Correspondingly, their reputation was the worst among all divisions, nearly becoming the public enemy of the Gotei 13.
Next came the Tenth Division, where Rosse was, and the Sixth Division under Kuchiki Byakuya.
Even in the Tenth Division, with Matsumoto Rangiku, who loved stirring up trouble, there had been multiple frictions with other divisions.
Besides, the Tenth Division was the Captain-Commander's division. Wasn't it natural for them to act a cut above?
It wasn't just between divisions.
With more people came more problems.
Within the same division, conflicts between veterans and newcomers were also intensifying.
Veterans looked down on the opportunism of the new recruits. The newcomers couldn't stand what they saw as the decay of the old guard.
Under such an extremely bloated system, the bond between captains and members had been diluted to the limit, while the divisions grew more divided than ever.
At first glance, this looked like an invincible army with hundreds of thousands of Zanpakuto, imposing and grand.
But anyone with insight could see it clearly.
If not for the pressure from the Hueco Mundo palace and Kyoraku Shunsui as external threats, this bloated army wouldn't even need an enemy to strike.
It would collapse on its own sooner or later.
Buzz!
Along with a deafening roar, the ground where Rosse and the others stood suddenly caved in.
Dust rose everywhere. Broken stones flew.
A violent wind swept across the entire area, whipping the robes of the vice-captains in the front row, while some weaker members couldn't even open their eyes under the aftershock of that spiritual pressure.
When the dust finally settled, two figures gradually appeared clearly before everyone.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
[email protected]/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining P@treon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through P@treon.