That night!
Ishikawa stood before the window of the Commander's Office, which resembled a suspended temple, looking out. The entire Seireitei was visible to him.
"Commander Ishikawa."
Chōjirō Sasakibe knelt behind Ishikawa, speaking respectfully, "The Shinigami Research and Development Institute has completed the renovation work on the Gotei 13 barracks. According to Captain Mayuri, although the exterior of the barracks will be covered, the Squad barracks can now resist the Wandenreich's coverage. All Squads have now returned to their original barracks to prepare for battle."
Ishikawa nodded at the words. By now, he no longer feared Yhwach's attack; instead, he eagerly awaited Yhwach's arrival.
Because...
Ishikawa himself wasn't sure how strong he had become.
He had even considered directly invading the Schatten Bereich to eliminate Yhwach, but in the end, he abandoned that idea.
It wasn't that he couldn't do it, but...
Ishikawa didn't want to do it that way.
Ishikawa was well aware that he had changed significantly compared to when he first arrived in this world.
This change wasn't an overnight transformation; rather, it was the accumulation of a lifetime for an ordinary person, combined with being enveloped by an immense, constantly accumulating tenderness he had never experienced before, which, like warm water, gradually altered his long-held beliefs and ideas.
Whether it was Aizen's assessment or Yhwach's assessment...
Ishikawa did not deny either.
Many people had said he resembled the other, but no one, including Ishikawa himself, had expected that in the end, he would become increasingly similar to Captain-Commander Yamamoto, whom he had once most resisted.
This was also why Captain-Commander Yamamoto decided to hand over the position of Gotei 13 Commander to Ishikawa, even knowing that the Squad Zero held hostility towards him!
This could be seen as a declaration to the Squad Zero, announcing that Ishikawa was a member of the Seireitei.
After all, to some extent, the position of Commander was not inferior in status to the Squad Zero, and even held the authority to appoint others to the Squad Zero.
Getting back to the main topic!
Although Ishikawa did not deny the changes in his beliefs and ideas.
But...
This change only applied to specific, and normally extremely rare, groups.
However, due to the system's existence, the scope of this 'normally extremely rare group' was slightly larger, but the Squad Zero was definitely not within this scope.
Moreover, a better temper does not mean becoming a good-natured pushover!
Since they harbored hostility towards him, and to some extent had already acted on that hostility, Ishikawa would not be unprepared.
Ishikawa stood by the window, a cold glint flashing in the pupils reflected in the glass.
The Squad Zero's duty was to protect the Soul King Palace, while the Gotei 13's duty was to protect the Seireitei. For Ishikawa, this scope of duty also included the entire Rukongai.
Therefore, he only needed to do his job!
Behind Ishikawa, Chōjirō Sasakibe's face showed a hint of surprise as he slowly said, "The Central 46 has sent a secret order, stating they hope you can reside in the 'Pure Cleanse Tower Forest Residence.'" As he finished speaking, Chōjirō Sasakibe's gaze towards Ishikawa became somewhat strange.
Even though he had served as the Vice-Captain of the First Division since the Gotei 13's establishment, he still doubted the authenticity of this secret order.
After all, the Central 46 had never allowed anyone to enter the Pure Cleanse Tower Forest Residence, not even the Gotei 13 Commander.
But now, the Central 46 had not only invited Ishikawa but also allowed him to reside there.
"Tell them to stay in the Tower Forest Residence and not worry about enemies invading there."
Ishikawa shook his head. The Central 46's intentions were not hard to guess; they simply hoped he would go to the Tower Forest Residence to protect them personally.
The protection for the Central 46 was actually not weak. Squads were stationed in all four directions, as all ordinary residents, Shinigami families, and major nobles of the Seireitei were currently concentrated in the Central 46's shelters. Coupled with the ten layers of barriers, it was impossible for an enemy to invade the Central 46 before Ishikawa could react.
In fact, even without those residents, Ishikawa would not allow enemies to invade the Central 46.
Because the current batch of Central 46 members had undergone significant changes under Ishikawa and his convenient elder sister's long-term... well, 'tutelage.' Basically, any decision Ishikawa proposed would be easily approved.
The main reason for this change was Nayura's contribution. Under her deliberate guidance, this group of Central 46 members, who were once 'Nobility First,' had completed their initial transformation, centered around her.
Although the gap in their understanding still existed, it was slowly being filled.
Even if there were still issues of balance, the high-ranking officers of the Gotei 13 could vaguely feel the changes in the Central 46.
If this state continued, one could look forward to a future where a 'relatively fair' judicial system would emerge for nobles, Shinigami, commoners, and even the residents of Rukongai.
The reason it was called 'relatively fair' was because Soul Society was not the Human World.
The Shinigami's transcendent individual strength, and the nobles' talent, which was stronger than that of most commoners, meant that no matter how much things changed, 'absolute fairness' could never be achieved. However, his elder sister had always been working towards this, and Ishikawa did not want to discourage her.
...
A night passed in a flash. Ishikawa did not rest but stayed in the Commander's Office, receiving intelligence from various Squads and issuing various instructions.
Although he no longer feared Yhwach, Ishikawa would not underestimate his threat. He did not want his carelessness to lead to avoidable sacrifices!
The entire Seireitei was ready. The only thing that made Ishikawa somewhat worried now was if Yhwach gave up on invading the Seireitei and instead chose to attack Hueco Mundo, in which case all his preparations would be in vain.
Moreover...
If Yhwach chose Hueco Mundo, it would also lead to a major error in Ishikawa's judgment.
"...The reports from all Squads are normal; there are no signs of the Wandenreich appearing."
Inside the First Division Captains Office, Ishikawa listened to Chōjirō Sasakibe's report from below, his brows slightly furrowed.
From the timeline, today was the end of the '9 years to regain power' mentioned in the prophecy, but the Wandenreich led by Yhwach had not appeared. This made Ishikawa hesitate whether to change his original plan.
"Commander Ishikawa."
Just then, a voice entered Ishikawa's ears:
"Are you truly not going to consider my suggestion?"
In the center of the office, Shunsui looked at Ishikawa behind the desk and said seriously, "For the current situation, his power can be of great help to us."
Ishikawa looked at Shunsui, his gaze somewhat strange.
He had to admit, although Shunsui was inferior to Captain-Commander Yamamoto in all aspects, there was indeed some truth to why Captain-Commander Yamamoto, in his memory, would choose him as his successor.
At least, no other Captain of the Gotei 13 would be as daring as him to make the decision to 'release Aizen and utilize his power'!
In fact, Ishikawa had considered this idea before his battle with Retsu Unohana, and had even thought of visiting this 'old friend' in Muken. However, after the battle with Retsu Unohana, Ishikawa had abandoned this idea.
However, now that thought resurfaced in Ishikawa's mind.
"Regarding this..."
Ishikawa pondered for a moment. Just as he was about to say something, he felt an inexplicable fluctuation suddenly appear within the Seireitei.
The moment he sensed this fluctuation, Ishikawa's eyes lit up. He stood up, intending to go outside, but after taking a few steps, he stopped, turned around, and threw something to Shunsui.
"This is my secret order. You can act according to your own ideas. If the Central 46 has any dissenting opinions, just give them this secret order."
With that, Ishikawa paid no attention to Shunsui's reaction and disappeared directly from the First Division Captains Office.
Shunsui looked at the secret order in his hand with a strange gaze. Even though he already knew that Ishikawa was a member of the Central 46, Ishikawa's words still left him deeply bewildered, because they seemed to imply that... the Central 46 would absolutely not oppose any decision he made.
On the other side, when Ishikawa left the First Division office, what greeted his eyes was the rapidly changing Seireitei.
Familiar streets and buildings were gradually being replaced by ice palaces. The entire Seireitei, except for the Squad barracks that had been protected in advance, had completely transformed into a different appearance.
Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...
At the same time, pillars of blue flame shot into the sky, appearing throughout the Seireitei. Terrifying spiritual pressure fluctuations instantly enveloped the entire Seireitei.
"What a pity."
A voice came from above Ishikawa's head. Following the sound, a black flame ignited in the void, and a dark figure emerged from the black flame, which was none other than Yhwach.
"If you choose to leave Soul Society for Hueco Mundo, perhaps I would spare your life and allow you to stand behind me to welcome the arrival of a new world."
At this moment, Yhwach looked at Ishikawa with only calmness in his multiple pupils.
There was no anger from his plans being repeatedly interrupted by Ishikawa, nor was there any killing intent towards Ishikawa. His gaze was as if he was looking at an inanimate object.
Ishikawa chose to remain in Seireitei and become the temporary Commander of the Gotei 13, leading the Gotei 13 to resist the Wandenreich, instead of leaving Soul Society for Hueco Mundo in advance. This caused Yhwach's last bit of regard for Ishikawa to disappear.
Although Ishikawa's fate was sealed regardless of whether he went to Hueco Mundo or stayed in Soul Society, his choice to side with the weaker party and his delusion of protecting everyone still disappointed Yhwach.
He had already seen the future.
The moment he opened his eyes, the future, like sand slipping through his fingers, was already within his grasp.
In the endless futures, no matter what choice Ishikawa made, his future had only one outcome.
That was…
Death!
The only difference was the location of his death.
But…
Yhwach frowned.
Smiling?
Yhwach looked at Ishikawa, who slowly raised his head from the ground. The future scene overlapped with reality, and for some reason, the familiar smile caused a hint of unease in his heart.
He felt uneasy after opening his eyes?
The moment he experienced this thought, Yhwach's expression suddenly changed.
Because…
At this instant, in the countless futures where Ishikawa died, regardless of time and place, every Ishikawa displayed a strange smile on his face when he saw him.
That smile intensified, eventually piercing deep into Yhwach's soul like a sharp thorn, completely shattering his previous calm:
"What are you smiling at?!"
Yhwach himself didn't notice that the moment he finished speaking, a hint of fear gradually appeared in his uneasy tone.
He didn't understand…
Why all futures had changed at this instant.
Even more, he didn't understand where his fear came from!
But one thing he could be sure of was…
Boom~!
Without warning, an energy like a meteor descended with a roar. The cyan spiritual flame, like a giant hammer falling from the sky, completely enveloped Ishikawa and the surrounding thousand meters.
…He must be killed immediately!
Terrifying energy ripples spread out, instantly covering the entire Seireitei, causing everyone in Seireitei to change their expressions at that moment.
But the next instant, the energy ripples, like a tsunami, suddenly stopped.
Then…
Under everyone's gaze, the soaring energy ripples rapidly contracted, looking as if time was flowing backward!
"What exactly happened?"
Whether it was Shinigami or Quincy, everyone had deeply felt the threat within the energy ripples in that instant. If that energy were allowed to fully erupt, the now greatly altered Seireitei might turn into ruins in an instant.
But now, the terrifying energy seemed to be frozen; not only did it not spread, but it was rapidly retracting towards the center.
How is that possible!?
At the center of the battlefield, Yhwach's multiple pupils showed disbelief. His eyes were fixed on the center of the energy.
Driven by unease, he had held nothing back in that attack, but the future did not unfold as he had 'seen.' Instead, it became blurry and illusory in that instant, as if everything he had seen was just a dream.
"Your appearance proves that my judgment was not wrong!"
Ishikawa's voice entered Yhwach's ears, and the moment the voice fell.
Buzz~!
The world seemed to vibrate at this instant. The terrifying energy ripples abruptly disappeared, revealing the figure in black work clothes within.
The moment Ishikawa appeared, the abnormal pupils in Yhwach's eyes simultaneously began to contract!
Because…
The future had changed!
All futures were rapidly evolving. The sand flowing through his fingers seemed to have come alive, no longer flowing downwards but beginning to flow upwards.
The future was no longer blurry, nor was there any illusion.
But these incredibly clear, countless futures made Yhwach, for the first time, doubt everything he had seen with his 'Almighty' power!
"Impossible… This is impossible, what did you do… No, what illusion did you cast?"
His hoarse roar was filled with panic and disbelief.
But no matter how much he denied it, the future was overlapping with reality.
The moment Ishikawa's gaze fell on Yhwach…
The future descended!
Vaguely, the entire world seemed to be stared at by those purple-glowing pupils. His body, soul, and even his very existence were frozen in that instant.
Then…
Whoosh—!
A gentle breeze swept by, and Yhwach, standing in the void, scattered like dust with the wind.
Until he completely disappeared…
His face was filled with fear and disbelief.
And from beginning to end, Ishikawa, standing in the greatly altered street, did not move a single step. He simply stood in place like an ordinary person, and apart from those purple eyes, there was not the slightest energy fluctuation.
Yhwach's appearance proved one thing!
That is…
The existence of the system was also a variable for the Almighty.
Due to the special nature of the Almighty's existence, or rather, the connection of its ability to the Three Realms, it was impossible to avoid, because the Almighty does not see through the future, but rather from the flowing sand…
Chooses the direction of the future!!
So, in order to prevent Yhwach from abandoning the invasion of Soul Society, Ishikawa did not immediately add points after gaining the experience provided by Retsu Unohana. Instead, he completely spent all the experience points only after Yhwach appeared.
…
Name: Ishikawa
Race: Human
Level: ∞
Physique: Top (990000 / 1000000)
Spiritual Pressure: Top (990000 / 1000000)
Hakuda: Top (990000 / 1000000)
Shunpo: Top (990000 / 1000000)
Zanjutsu: Top (990000 / 1000000)
Zanpakuto: Top (990000 / 1000000)
Current Experience: 0
…
In addition to these most basic attributes, in the special skills section of the system interface, whether it was Reiatsu Crest or Kaido, etc., all reached the same value.
The 8,450,400 experience points were completely consumed, allowing Ishikawa's various abilities, except for Kido, to truly reach their limit!
Even among the densely packed Kido on the Kido page, two top-tier Kido reached their maximum values, which, by analogy, boosted other low, medium, and high-level Kido to varying degrees!
Boom~
In the void, distorted mist gradually condensed, and Yhwach's vanished aura slowly reappeared.
Ishikawa did not stop any of this, but allowed it to change his future death.
He…
Was too strong!!
Although Ishikawa had thought that it wouldn't be difficult to defeat Yhwach after adding points, before he did so.
But he really didn't expect…
Yhwach would be unable to withstand his 'analysis,' leading to his existence being forcibly erased.
This made Ishikawa feel a sense of amusement towards his earlier seriousness regarding Yhwach!