"Three thousand worlds, all past karmas, all of creation—severed in a single stroke!"
Ren spoke in a low voice, softly uttering the name of his Bankai.
Under the explosion of Spiritual Pressure, the air surged, causing his robes to billow while dust scattered throughout the great hall.
The clear Zanpakuto, including its hilt, began to glow with a brilliant white light.
The white light automatically extended and widened in his hand, transforming into a blade over two meters tall. Only then did the radiance gradually fade, revealing the true form of his Bankai.
Ren gripped a massive zanbato. The blade was bright and eerie, its edge shimmering with a cold light that exuded sharp lethality.
The hilt was long and pitch-black, connected at the pommel to a chain that wrapped around Ren's body, clinking as he moved.
From a distance, his figure appeared exceptionally imposing, like a general charging into the fray to seize the enemy's banner, radiating palpable killing intent.
Yhwach raised his arm to shield his face from the rushing wind.
As the air calmed, he lowered his arm and directed his gaze toward Ren.
Feeling the aura emanating from across the room, a disdainful smile played across his weathered face.
"A Zanpakuto's Bankai is the ultimate trump card for a Soul Reaper. It possesses immense power and is often the key to turning the tide in a desperate situation."
"But what is this supposed to be, Soul Reaper?"
"This frail presence and fluctuating Spiritual Pressure are truly disappointing. Is the technique you've unleashed truly a Bankai?"
"If this is the extent of your skill, you might as well take your own life now. It would be better than being crushed by me in battle; that would be far more difficult for you to accept."
*Hum!*
Ren shifted his arm, and the zanbato let out a crisp hum. The movement caused the chains to rattle and clink.
By simply lowering the sword without even making a move, the side of the palace was struck by a massive, unseen slash.
*Boom!*
From the wall beside Ren up to the ceiling, a clean cut appeared out of thin air.
The thick wall fell away, as if a section of the structure had been erased by an invisible force, revealing the scenery outside.
Yhwach's eyes narrowed as he instinctively gripped the hilt of his favored blade at his waist.
"Soul Reaper, what did you do?!"
"Nothing at all."
Ren spoke softly, his voice calm and unruffled.
After a pause, he continued, "It's quite simple. I just lowered my weapon, and everything blocking the way was severed. That is my Bankai."
"On the contrary, Yhwach, I have a question for you."
His eyes glowed in the dim light. The light wasn't dazzling; instead, it flickered in and out, making his face appear obscure and uncertain.
Simply looking at Yhwach in that manner exerted a pressure far greater than anything before.
Ren wore a half-smile, his voice teasing and laced with a trace of disdain.
"Yhwach, are you truly Yhwach?"
*Schwing!*
Yhwach's gaze sharpened, his expression turning fierce. He drew his sword and pointed it at his enemy, erupting with boundless killing intent.
"What exactly are you trying to say?"
"Or are you just that eager to become another soul claimed by my blade!"
Yhwach's forceful stance was imposing, but in Ren's eyes, it seemed somewhat hollow.
He shook his head with a mocking smirk.
"Forget it. I already have the answer to that question."
Ren flicked his wrist, causing the massive zanbato to sway slightly as the chains rattled.
Sensing a fatal killing intent, Yhwach's expression changed. He thrust his arm forward as the Reishi around him surged violently.
"Sankt Zwinger!"
Reishi swirled frantically as Yhwach's Spiritual Pressure exploded. He immediately deployed his strongest defensive barrier.
Beneath his feet and around him, a massive circular wall of light appeared. Several Quincy Crosses rose within the barrier, shining with a sacred blue radiance, protecting him within.
This was the ultimate Quincy spell for both offense and defense, capable of isolating any enemy attack.
Should an enemy step inside, they would be shot down by an endless barrage of Heilig Pfeil!
Yhwach felt slightly more at ease as he watched the defensive spell take form.
Since the enemy was using a Bankai, he happened to have something designed specifically to deal with a Soul Reaper's Bankai!
Although it had only recently been developed and the device was unstable, he intended to use this Soul Reaper's Bankai for a test.
Just as he reached into his robes, his expression froze. His gaze turned blank for a split second as he looked forward.
The enemy who had been right in front of him just moments ago had suddenly vanished!
'How is that possible?!'
Yhwach's eyes widened in disbelief.
He had been highly alert from the start, without a single moment of negligence.
Yet, the enemy's figure had disappeared right before his eyes?
His current power was among the top in the three realms.
For someone to escape his notice so stealthily and with such speed... such a person should not exist in all the three realms!
"He must be using some trick to hide himself!"
Yhwach's tone grew irritable as his gaze swept across the entire hall, not missing a single suspicious detail.
Right then, a low voice sounded behind him.
"I wasn't hiding."
Hearing this, Yhwach stiffened.
His face hardened in shock as he slowly turned his head.
The Soul Reaper came into view, holding that massive zanbato, still wearing that same mocking expression.
He was standing right behind him, inside the range of the grand defensive spell.
"You—"
He tried to speak, but the Soul Reaper waved him off impatiently.
"Enough. I have no interest in your nonsense."
"Hurry up and exit the stage!"
As Ren finished speaking, the Reishi wall emitting the sacred blue light shattered.
The grand spell, Sankt Zwinger, disintegrated instantly, turning into sparkling Reishi particles that dissipated into the air.
Yhwach reached out his right hand to clutch his chest, but he found nothing to hold onto. His hand was only met with the sticky mess of blood.
Only then did he realize that the left half of his body—from his shoulder down to his leg—had vanished in an instant.
And he didn't even know when the enemy had attacked.
Losing the support of half his body, his face turned deathly pale. The light in his eyes faded as he lost the strength to stay upright, collapsing heavily to the floor!
*Thud!*
Blood and bits of internal organs splattered as he hit the ground. He struggled to turn his head to look to the side.
His vision was blurring, but he could still see the other half of his body lying there.
*Tap, tap, tap...*
Footsteps approached. In his daze, he saw the Soul Reaper come to a stop in front of him.
Looking at the blurred silhouette, he opened his mouth, his voice weak as he squeezed out a fragmented question.
"This... is your Bankai... what is its... ability—"
Before he could finish, a sharp flash of light crossed his vision, and he lost all consciousness.
"Idiot. Why would I ever tell you?"
"Die in ignorance."
Ren swung his sharp blade, decapitating the man and completely severing his life.
A massive shockwave poured from the blade, carving another deep gouge into the palace floor below.
Looking at the corpse of the now-dead enemy, Ren's eyebrows twitched, his voice filled with certainty.
"Heh, as I thought. You weren't Yhwach!"
Now that the one who had fought Ren was dead, the appearance of the corpse changed drastically.
The head Ren had severed no longer bore Yhwach's weathered face. The disguise had vanished, revealing his true features.
He was bald, and his features were much more delicate than Yhwach's rugged face, with earmuffs on both sides of his head.
Most remarkably, besides his normal pair of eyes, he had a third eye in the center of his forehead.
Ren remembered that in the original story, Yhwach had sent someone disguised as himself to deal with Old Man Yamamoto, tricking him into using his Bankai.
"The only one fooled by such a trick was that old man, Yamamoto."
"You're far from being able to deceive me."
When he had formulated the invasion plan, he had already anticipated this.
And the moment he saw Yhwach appear, he had already reached a conclusion.
If it had been the real Yhwach, Ren might have exchanged a few words.
But knowing it wasn't the true body, he didn't bother with small talk.
Out of caution, he had activated his Bankai immediately!
Although this man was an impostor, he was someone capable of tricking Yamamoto Shigekuni into using his Bankai and even trading blows with him for a while. Naturally, he was no ordinary opponent.
"However, before my Bankai, no matter what ability you have, it's not enough."
Ren spoke with pride.
What he had just done was quite simple. He used his Bankai to sever space-time, entering a crack in time to shatter the enemy's defensive spell in a single blow!
Then he delivered another strike, severing half the enemy's body along with his entire life force.
Simple, right?
Looking at the corpse before him, Ren waved his hand.
"Release!"
*Slash! Slash! Slash!*
An endless barrage of slashes erupted instantly, mincing the corpse into a pile of meat, ensuring there was no possibility of resurrection.
These Quincies were tricky. Because they could manipulate Reishi, they were almost like immortals in high-concentration Reishi environments, making them extremely difficult to kill.
After finishing with the corpse, Ren frowned as he caught the scent of blood in the air.
He fanned the air in front of him, pinching his chin as he fell into thought.
"Since this was a fake Yhwach, where is the real body?"
With a thought, he silently called out Shisui's name.
A thread appeared out of thin air, connected to his chest. The other end passed through the floor, extending into the distance.
By plucking the thread, Ren's consciousness connected to the other end.
"Shisui, what's the situation?"
A moment later, Shisui's voice emerged in Ren's mind through the thread.
"I was just about to report, my lord. I've contacted the members of the Stealth Force who entered with the main army. After entering this place, they infiltrated the Quincy ranks to monitor their movements."
"They've made some progress. They reported seeing a group of Quincies carrying a coffin. Instead of heading to the heights, they entered a secret chamber deep within Silbern. That should be the target you're looking for."
Ren nodded and asked internally, "Shisui, did they keep a close eye on it?"
"Reporting, my lord. They were afraid of being discovered, so they only watched from a distance. After the coffin entered the secret room, they didn't go any further."
"Go and check it out. If it's the real one, let me know the location."
"Understood."
Ending the communication with Shisui, Ren stepped out of the hall, walking past the broken walls to look out over the city.
A sea of fiery red met his eyes. Flames burned in various locations, black smoke billowed everywhere, and ice mountains rose from the ground, causing the earth to tremble.
Weak sounds of battle drifted from the distant city.
Perhaps because of the distance, Ren couldn't hear them clearly. He could only catch a faint trace of crying and shouting amidst the sounds of slaughter.
"Sigh..."
Ren sighed, staring blankly at the rising heights in the distance. He knew Nobunaga and Sengoku were there, commanding the army.
As he looked down at the carnage in the city, he felt a momentary lapse in focus.
Killing so many Quincies, including many who were innocent, stirred something within him.
This war, which he had started single-handedly, would leave countless dead by the time it ended.
After all, the orders he had personally given during the war council had been quite ruthless.
The battle was currently at its peak, but in his heart, he had already predicted the outcome.
There was only one possible result for this war: their victory!
From this day forward, the Quincy would be completely wiped out!
*Rumble!*
Suddenly, a sharp whistling sound came from below.
Ren snapped back to reality and stepped forward. A black pterosaur beat its wings, racing up from the ground below.
Flames blazed behind it, trailing a brilliant arc through the sky.
"It's King."
As the pterosaur rose into the air, it immediately spotted Ren atop the palace.
With a flap of its wings, a gust of wind surged, and it reached the front of the palace in the blink of an eye.
"Great King, why are you here alone? Where is Shisui? Is he not by your side as your guard?"
Ren's expression had already returned to normal. He looked at King and pointed toward the burning city.
"I sent Shisui on another mission. What about you, King? How is your task going?"
"Yes. I encountered that girl with the explosions earlier and just finished burning her to death."
King flapped his wings to hover in the air, turning his head to look in one direction.
In his line of sight, a giant stood tall in the city, seemingly engaged in a fierce battle.
"I saw Brother Kaido over there."
"You don't need to worry about that side. With your current strength, you won't be much help there anyway. Leave it to Kaido and Linlin."
Ren pointed toward the rising heights.
"Follow the plan and support Nobunaga's army."
"Understood!"
King nodded, flapped his wings, and flew into the distance.
Just after he left, Ren received another communication from Shisui.
Yhwach's whereabouts... had been found!
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]