Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Following the arrival of the first few Captains, one figure after another rapidly flashed past Rangiku Matsumoto, arriving beside Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni and lining up shoulder to shoulder with Zanpakutō in hand as they stared ahead.
"Tōshirō, return at once!"
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni shouted in a grave voice.
High in the sky, Hitsugaya Tōshirō, who was engaged in a one-versus-two battle, was already covered in wounds across both his face and body, having completely fallen into a disadvantage.
Facing two Captain-class Experts from the Nie Kingdom alone, even he was beginning to struggle.
Huu!
Exhaling sharply, Hitsugaya Tōshirō suddenly swung his blade, sending a long stream of ice blossoms scattering through the air. Freezing energy burst outward in all directions, forcing the two attackers back as he rapidly retreated.
Seeing their opponent trying to escape, the Nie Kingdom Shinigami were just about to give chase when Qingfeng below suddenly stopped them.
"There's no need to pursue him. Let's first see what they intend to do."
Qingfeng shifted his gaze toward the line of Soul Society Captains standing at the forefront behind Yamamoto. The corner of his mouth lifted into a smile whose meaning was impossible to discern.
"So this is the Gotei 13… and Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni himself."
"You seem rather surprised."
He stepped forward to the very front of the Nie Kingdom army. Behind him, the Shinigami either stood upon the ground or hovered in the air, all staring coldly at the Gotei 13.
At this moment, aside from Kenpachi Chengdui and Sōsuke Aizen, all Captains of the Thirteen Divisions had already arrived. Massive numbers of Shinigami continued gathering behind them, forming a seemingly endless line.
The two camps now stood in direct confrontation, staring at one another while the atmosphere grew incredibly tense.
"Who are you people? What is your purpose?!"
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni demanded in a deep voice.
The wooden cane upon which his hands rested suddenly struck the ground.
Crack!!
The earth instantly shattered.
A wave of pressure burst outward from him, causing robes to flutter violently as it spread in every direction. By the time it reached the Nie Kingdom Shinigami, it had become an overwhelming gale that forced the front ranks backward while making them narrow their eyes against the wind.
"Oh?"
"The old man's strength really is impressive!"
Qingfeng's pupils contracted slightly, revealing a trace of caution.
Just as the intelligence reports had described, this Captain-Commander possessed overwhelming presence and terrifying strength.
A moment later, he smiled again.
"We are people of the Nie Kingdom. We have come to request something from the Captain-Commander."
"And what might that be?"
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni asked.
"The right to rule the Soul Society."
Qingfeng's smile vanished, replaced by icy coldness. Bone-chilling light flickered within his cyan-colored pupils.
"You ask too much."
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni answered with only a calm sentence.
"In that case, we'll simply take it ourselves!"
Qingfeng suddenly raised his hand and coldly declared.
Then, with a swift motion, his right arm slashed downward.
"Kill them all!"
Across from him, separated by nearly a thousand meters, icy killing intent suddenly flashed within Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's eyes.
At this moment, the aura around his body violently erupted outward. An invisible storm burst from his position, transforming into a whirlwind that swept through the battlefield.
"All uninvolved personnel, retreat immediately!"
The aged voice echoed across the area, carrying boundless authority.
"Avoid getting caught in the crossfire."
Those calm four words instantly caused the surrounding Soul Society Shinigami to change expressions and hurriedly retreat. Even the ten Captains standing behind him quickly stepped back, as though fearing they might be affected by something terrifying.
"The Captain-Commander is actually going to make a move!"
"It's obvious… he's furious!"
"It's the first time in nearly a thousand years. I'm actually looking forward to witnessing that terrifying yet breathtaking power again!"
Several of the more talkative Captains quietly discussed among themselves, while the Shinigami behind them stared ahead with excitement shining in their eyes.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni was the founder of the Gotei 13, the first Captain-Commander, the founder of the Spiritual Arts Academy, and its first principal.
His status within the Soul Society was absolute. His very life was practically synonymous with the history of Soul Society itself.
At this moment, the sudden outbreak of war did not throw the Captain-Commander into confusion.
Instead, at this critical moment, he discarded all unnecessary questions and doubts.
For example, why had there been no reports from the disturbed outskirts of the Soul Society?
Or how such a massive army of Shinigami could appear without anyone discovering them?
The living fossil representing the history of the Soul Society now had a raging fire burning within his heart.
The enemy called themselves people of the Nie Kingdom, which meant they did not belong to this world.
That alone made them enemies.
And their grandiose invasion, arrogant attitude, and brutal methods had completely enraged the Captain-Commander, awakening murderous intent within him!
How should that fury be vented?
Only through the eruption of flames.
Ahead of him, massive waves of Nie Kingdom Shinigami charged forward. Their eyes were crazed, their expressions filled with confidence, strength, and killing intent.
From every single face, one could clearly see their ambition toward the Soul Society.
"The Soul Society… is still the Soul Society."
"No one shall take it."
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni calmly uttered those two sentences.
At that moment, the wooden cane in his hand suddenly split apart, revealing a purple-tinted long blade.
Instantly, the temperature in the air began to rise.
"All things in this world… turn to ashes…"
"Ryūjin Jakka!!"
The calm chant echoed outward, causing every person present to contract their pupils.
Because in the very next instant, the ordinary-looking blade, yet also the oldest and strongest Zanpakutō, began to tremble.
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
A spark of flame ignited along the blade, then rapidly spread to engulf the entire sword.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The wind began to howl as Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's robes fluttered violently. The flames burned brighter and fiercer with every passing second.
"Hmph!!"
Suddenly, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's calm eyes widened.
A terrifyingly vast surge of Reiatsu erupted from his body, while the flames upon his blade became as scorching as the sun itself.
In an instant, the temperature of the battlefield rose by more than forty degrees, becoming unbearably hot.
Then, in a flash, his blazing sword was already raised before him and violently swung outward.
"Ennetsu Jigoku!!"
The aged roar thundered across the battlefield.
The flames on that slash expanded, grew larger, hotter, and more destructive.
Fwoosh! Sizzle! Crackle!
A chaotic symphony of sounds erupted as enormous pillars of fire suddenly exploded into existence around the charging Nie Kingdom Shinigami.
One pillar appeared,
Then another.
Then dozens more.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Gigantic columns of blazing fire burst forth simultaneously, their scorching flames spreading wildly and instantly engulfing countless Shinigami nearby.
"AAAAAHHH!!"
In that instant, screams filled the battlefield.
One after another, the figures of the Nie Kingdom Shinigami twisted and vanished within the flames.
Whether ordinary Shinigami, Vice-Captain-class fighters, or even Captain-class Experts,
None were spared.
Under those blazing flames, they all disintegrated one after another.
The inferno spread rapidly. In the blink of an eye, it had already covered several thousand meters, swallowing every Shinigami trapped within its range.
"Explode!!"
Five or six breaths later, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni let out a thunderous shout.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!
Earth-shaking explosions erupted across the battlefield.
The ground trembled violently as dozens of colossal pillars of fire shot into the heavens with terrifying force, sweeping across the battlefield and devouring vast numbers of Nie Kingdom Shinigami.
Whether in the sky or on the ground,
None could escape.
When everything finally ended, Qingfeng's pupils had contracted tightly, his right hand clenching hard around the hilt of his sword.
Behind him, waves of cold breath could be heard.
They had been terrified.
(End of Chapter)
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