Compared to Angra's 'gentleness' towards Yamiko, Yoshio wouldn't have such trouble when facing Surtur.
Surtur was a Quincy—and more importantly, she had no close relationship with Baelz, who was also on the Quincy side. If it were Liltotto, Yoshio might still show mercy.
As for now, although there was no need to rush, Yoshio immediately displayed Transcendent-level combat power.
Surtur immediately felt immense pressure, and quickly used her Vollständig!
Ragnarok!
Behind Surtur appeared wings like the twilight, deep yellow, like clouds dyed by the last light of a setting sun.
A golden halo appeared above her head.
The wings had an apocalyptic aura, but the halo above was incredibly sacred—like a warrior wielding a sword for a god.
Not only that, even before Angra and Yamiko went to Hueco Mundo, Surtur had summoned the Ragnarok domain.
Just as she had pulled the Shinigami and Angra into the Ragnarok world on Sokyoku Hill in Soul Society, the current Surtur also created her own inner world—an extradimensional domain where she judged Shinigami.
This world was a dim yellow—the sun about to set, the sky in transition between day and night.
Yoshio and Surtur suddenly found themselves in this world. He could see faint wisps of fire floating in the sky.
A greatsword, burning with flames and larger than her body, appeared in Surtur's hand.
She pointed the blade at Yoshio, and in an instant, a giant cross appeared behind him!
It resembled a cross, but was actually an execution stand. Yoshio's hands were involuntarily held up by a strange force, perpendicular to his body, as if bound by that cross of light.
At this moment, Yoshio was like a saint being executed.
Surtur narrowed her eyes, her voice subtle and cold.
"Cross Execution!"
Boom!
Flames ignited on Yoshio's body, just like the burning of heretics in the Middle Ages!
Immediately after, a long spear of light appeared in Surtur's hand. She held the sword in her right, the spear in her left, and hurled the spear with force!
This was a spear with God-Slaying characteristics! Surtur knew Yoshio possessed powerful defensive capabilities—she had seen it in his battle with Baraggan.
Thus, Surtur chose to directly use the God-Slaying strike she had prepared for Angra!
Surtur's ability was originally a Shinigami bane, but this strike was not aimed at Shinigami, but at true gods.
Actually... gods were the true targets of all judgments in Ragnarok.
What is a god?
Shinigami were also considered gods, but true gods? They were those who transcended Shinigami!
Transcending Shinigami, after breaking through the soul's limits, one's reishi would begin to sublimate.
For example, the reishi barrier on Yoshio's body; this powerful defense could not be formed by mere accumulation of reishi.
It was not just quantity, but also quality!
Compared to ordinary Shinigami, their reishi was truly God Power.
Having suffered a crushing defeat by Angra last time, Surtur had always kept it in mind, waiting for an opportunity to take revenge.
But before she could face Angra again, she first encountered Yoshio.
Then again... in a way, it was all the same.
Consider it a military exercise in advance.
In any case, the powerful Light Execution blasted towards Yoshio, even suppressing the reishi barrier around him.
Theoretically, this was impossible. Though Surtur was powerful, even without the power of the Hollow King Right Hand, Yoshio's reishi barrier should have been untouchable.
This proved just how much effort Surtur had put into developing this move.
The sharp execution power continuously eroded the reishi barrier. The two forces collided in front of Yoshio, and in the next moment, the 'bound' holy cross instantly ignited!
BOOM!
A massive, scorching flame shot skyward!
The flames seemed to soar into the sky, igniting the fiery clouds—as if the entire sky had caught fire!
Within this inferno, a white light pierced through—it was the spear from before.
Surtur's attack was indeed very strong; if it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't be able to withstand it.
Of course, that required them to just stand there as Yoshio did, simply enduring her attack.
Yoshio's nonchalance came from his utter confidence in his own strength.
In the face of these raging flames of judgment and the spear that could pierce even gods, Yoshio's body shone brightly!
The breached reishi barrier instantly repaired itself—becoming even stronger!
The God-Slaying spear that had pierced his barrier entered his body, leaving only a pure white light shining through.
He...
Had become Solitude Hell!
How could these attacks harm him, who had become the incarnation of hell? Just as Baraggan's death aura flowed into hell before, Surtur's attack now entered hell.
Therefore, this powerful attack caused no damage to Yoshio!
At that moment, the strengthened reishi barrier expanded, and its force directly consumed the flames, as if all things in the world were decomposing at that instant.
The flames vanished, revealing Yoshio once more.
At this moment...
Forget about scars or burns—not even a scratch! He stood exactly as before, completely unharmed.
Not even his clothes were singed, as if nothing had happened, or as if that immense Light Execution was just a gentle spring breeze to Yoshio.
Then, Yoshio unleashed his reishi completely, the sheer power affecting the entire Inner World! The world seemed about to be torn apart, adding a strong apocalyptic aura to this already twilight judgment scene.
"What..."
Even the always-composed Surtur couldn't help but widen her eyes in disbelief. She said, almost unable to accept it,
She hadn't expected 'Light Execution' to kill Yoshio, nor did she believe she was his opponent, but—
Was this gap too big?
How could he be...
Completely unharmed?
"Your... ability is quite interesting," Yoshio said kindly. "You are named after a fire giant from Norse mythology, so you shouldn't be a Quincy. How about joining me?"
In fact, many of Yoshio's subordinates were figures from mythology.
"...Wishful thinking." Surtur held her breath, and to counter Yoshio, she began to intensify her reishi absorption. In this twilight world, large amounts of reishi gathered around her, making her angelic wings and halo even brighter!
Even her skin tone deepened, and in the next moment, she transformed into an incredibly massive giant!
This giant was engulfed in raging flames, holding an enormous flame sword that radiated infinite light and heat!
Now, cracks seemed to appear on Surtur's body, but they emitted light, looking like mysterious patterns.
This was power used beyond her limits. Even a Quincy in Vollständig, with absolute subordination to reishi, was not unlimited.
Exceeding that limit caused uncontrollable reishi to flood into her body, increasing the burden on her soul.
But facing Yoshio, how could she care about her limits?
As long as she could win, she would not hesitate to self-destruct her soul!
She swung the giant sword. Even before the blade struck, the wind shattered the earth, turning it into lava.
Yoshio stood on the only intact ground. Facing the enormous flame sword, he extended a finger to the sky.
A red, rhomboid crystal appeared above his finger. When the sword crashed down, the massive flame blade struck the crystal shield.
In an instant, astonishing power erupted—not just meant to cut a person, or to slice the earth and mountains, but a force meant to split the world itself!
BOOM!
The force compressed the air, forming a firestorm on both sides of the blade.
The winds ignited, turning fiery red!
"The fire giant who declared Ragnarok for Yhwach indeed possesses immense power."
"Then, I shall use the power of the angel who blows the horn of the apocalypse."
Yoshio said softly.
No further action was seen from him; suddenly, the scorched and torn world became cool.
The world, once filled with flowing lava, changed. The earth and fiery clouds turned blue—becoming flowing water!
Yes, it turned into water!
Water vapor filled the world, starting from the most scorching flames, to the vast earth and sky. In a short time, the entire world turned a watery blue!
RUMBLE...
Seawater poured down madly. It was no longer just rain—the entire sky became an ocean and crashed down!
Hundreds of thousands? Millions? Tens of millions of tons of seawater fell!
How terrifying was this power? Yet Surtur was only one person, and only a small portion of the seawater affected her. Even facing this, Surtur would not be injured.
However, she certainly looked a bit disheveled.
After all...
She was a fire giant, flames burning on her body—yet now submerged in seawater, water and fire mingling with sizzling sounds.
Not to mention, this world was actually part of her Ragnarok power. This was supposed to be her world of judgment—how had it become the Great Flood from the Bible, judging fallen angels and humans?!
What Yoshio had just used was God Power!
Gabriel's Soul Ability, which could draw reishi from water and convert matter into water, transforming reishi into water.
The so-called Gabriel was the angel who blows the horn of the apocalypse during the Last Judgment!
Since Surtur created Ragnarok, he would create the Last Judgment!
The sea submerged this world, while he and Surtur continued their confrontation in this oceanic world.
Yoshio stood on the seawater that submerged the world, not even wet.
Surtur, as a fire giant, was massive, more than half her body submerged. Her upper body extended above the water, rain splashing on her, mingling with the flames.
Yoshio had overturned the world in an instant. The corners of his mouth curved upwards, and he pointed at Surtur.
"Blizzard."
In an instant—
The weather changed again!
Suddenly, extreme cold snow began to fall from the sky, which had been pouring rain!
The snow was like ice dragons, surging toward Surtur below!