"You may withdraw."
"Stand guard nearby. Do not overlook even the slightest movement."
In front of an iron gate, Shisui waved a hand toward the members of the Stealth Force beside him.
The Stealth Force members had been dispatched early to scout every corner of this Empire of Shadows.
Upon receiving Shisui's contact, they followed his instructions and led him here.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi stood with one arm crossed over his chest, staring at the iron gate ahead. He extended his middle finger, tapping his head with a long, sharp nail.
"Inside lies the corpse of the Quincy King. No doubt some powerful Quincies are standing guard within."
He looked at Shisui beside him and asked, "What's our move? Should we charge in right now?"
"I have already informed the Lord of our discovery here."
Shisui slowly closed his eyes. When they opened, a crimson light flared within the gloom.
Pinwheel-like patterns rotated slowly within his pupils, radiating an ominous and increasingly eerie aura.
"But we cannot simply sit on our hands until his arrival."
"And what do you mean by that?"
Mayuri shifted his gaze away, avoiding eye contact with those peculiar eyes.
Shisui stepped forward, pink scales manifesting across his exposed arm.
"The guards inside are of little consequence. By the time the Lord arrives, we shall present Yhwach's remains to him."
Reaching the massive iron gate, Shisui scrutinized it carefully.
Flickering deep-blue lines appeared on the surface of the door, connecting to the surrounding walls. It appeared to be some form of Quincy barrier.
Judging by its scale, its purpose was concealment coupled with decent defensive strength.
However, for the Stealth Force, such concealment was utterly useless; the location had been easily exposed.
As for the defensive properties, Shisui deemed them insufficient.
He raised his hand. Muscles bulged on his arm, and pink scales coated his skin, emphasizing a sense of immense power.
Clenching his fist, he swung violently at the iron gate!
BOOM!
The massive iron gate was demolished, letting out a deafening roar that revealed the darkness within.
His Sharingan gleamed brightly.
This level of darkness posed no obstacle to Shisui's vision; he saw through it with ease.
His field of vision revealed a staircase leading deeper underground, winding downward. Several presences emanated from below.
"Let's go!"
Shisui called out to Mayuri and charged down without waiting for a reply.
Mayuri clutched his head and shook it gently, looking somewhat exasperated.
"Fine. There might be experimental materials down there that pique my interest."
"It would be a nuisance for me if you destroyed everything."
With that, Mayuri followed closely behind.
At the end of the stairs lay a relatively spacious basement.
The sound of Shisui destroying the entrance had been loud, and it echoed even more piercingly underground.
A short youth spun around abruptly, facing the entrance.
He opened his mouth, revealing two tongues. His speech was slurred as he barked at the Quincies behind him.
"The enemy has discovered this place."
"Have you still not bypassed the enemy's barrier to open a path to the outside?"
Nianzol Weizol, Schrift 'W', the ability known as 'The Wind'.
Behind him stood a group of Quincies, guarding a black coffin.
Several Quincies sat respectfully on the floor, their bodies tense. Reishi converged into the shape of a Quincy Cross, glowing with a faint light.
They were clearly performing a Quincy incantation.
Their leader explained tremulously, "My Lord... opening a path without alerting the enemy takes time."
"Idiot! The enemy has already found us."
Nianzol Weizol turned his head toward them. His voice remained muffled, but his expression had become deadly serious.
"This is no time to worry about stealth. Open a path at all costs and get His Majesty out of here!"
The Quincies nodded in unison, their voices resolute. "Understood!"
"As for the approaching enemies, I shall deal with them!"
Sensing something, he jerked his head back toward the only entrance.
At some point, a figure had appeared at the entrance, walking down the steps into the basement one pace at a time.
The figure was ethereal yet present, moving with practiced efficiency.
But the most striking feature was the pair of eyes that glowed crimson even in the pitch black.
To look upon them was to feel an immediate sense of impending doom.
Nianzol Weizol stared at those eyes, his expression freezing as his mind was ensnared by the crimson pupils.
Behind this man, another figure with bizarre makeup stepped slowly out of the shadows.
"It seems we have found our target."
Mayuri looked at the coffin surrounded by the Quincies, a smile creeping onto his face.
In front of him, Shisui gave a slight nod and stepped forward.
Nianzol Weizol, on the Quincy side, remained motionless as Shisui approached.
The Quincies grew anxious.
"My Lord! The enemy is coming!"
"What... what is wrong with you? Why aren't you attacking?"
"Does the enemy have some sort of special ability?!"
Despite the shouts and warnings from his fellow Quincies, Nianzol Weizol remained dazed and rooted to the spot.
Shisui walked past him, drawing his blade and thrusting it toward the boy's heart.
Just as the Zanpakuto neared him, the straight blade suddenly curved in a graceful arc, diverting away from his body.
Startled, Shisui immediately pulled back his sword.
As he pulled his blade back, it returned to its straight form.
Various theories flashed through Shisui's mind.
"I see. So that is your Schrift ability."
Even after being mesmerized, the ability remained active.
Shisui smiled with inner pride.
"But before my Sharingan, it is still frail and powerless!"
He turned to look at Mayuri behind him.
"This fellow is a member of the Sternritter. I assume he will suffice for you?"
Mayuri's mouth split into a wide grin, revealing his yellowed teeth.
"Satisfactory. More than satisfactory."
He walked up to the man, stroking his chin as he inspected him.
He nodded repeatedly, looking more pleased with every passing second.
This was the first intact Quincy he had obtained since the start of the war; it seemed this trip was not in vain.
Mayuri pulled various tools from his robes, preparing to pack his prize away.
Shisui ignored him, focusing on the Quincies in the center of the room, his gaze landing heavily on those sitting on the floor.
Though he wasn't sure what they were doing, their posture suggested they were preparing a major move.
A single step forward from him sent the group into a panic.
"Heh..."
Shisui pushed off, his body vanishing instantly and becoming a series of afterimages that flickered through the room.
Those multiple figures brandished their blades, the steel tracing bright arcs that cut through the dim basement in rapid succession.
"It's done!"
The Quincies on the floor snapped their eyes open and exhaled.
A massive Quincy Cross appeared on the floor, forming a strange pattern that erupted in brilliant blue light, enveloping the Quincies and the coffin.
Just as a flash of joy crossed their faces and they prepared to share the good news with their comrades, a white flash of a blade swept past their vision.
Then, their world plunged into darkness.
After Shisui finished off the Quincies on the floor with several strikes, the blue light on the ground vanished instantly.
Seeing this, Shisui finally felt a sense of relief.
The spectral afterimages converged in the room, solidifying back into one body.
He flicked his sword, shaking off the residual blood, then turned the blade to point at the remaining Quincies guarding the coffin.
Shisui's movements were so fast that the remaining Quincies couldn't react in time.
All they saw were afterimages; their companions were decapitated before they could even scream.
The newly formed transfer tunnel was severed, leaving them with no escape.
Coupled with Shisui's effortless defeat of Nianzol Weizol, the Quincies were paralyzed with terror.
But seeing the butcher's blade coming for them, they were not about to go quietly to the slaughter.
Suppressing their fear, they raised their weapons, drawing bows and nocking arrows to launch an attack.
"Don't panic! There are only two of them!"
"Kill the enemies! It's the only way we survive!"
Whish, whish, whish!
Countless Reishi arrows were aimed at Shisui and fired in unison, carving brilliant trails through the air.
The arrows were dense, sealing off nearly every possible angle in the cramped basement.
As the arrows were about to rain down, Shisui's expression didn't flicker; he remained as calm as ever.
He swung his blade, parrying every incoming arrow.
Even as he defended, he took the opportunity to advance.
In a split second, he appeared before the Quincies, his blade sweeping across their throats.
While Shisui dodged the Quincy attacks with ease, Mayuri behind him was left exposed to the volley.
"Shisui, you bastard!"
Having been caught in the crossfire for no reason, Mayuri cursed loudly.
He quickly dropped his tools, dashed in front of the dazed Nianzol Weizol, and began casting Kido without pause.
"Hado 57: Daichi Ten'yō!"
BOOM!
With a thunderous roar, a wall of brick and stone rose from the ground in front of Mayuri.
More stones and earth leapt into the air, hurtling forward.
The incoming arrows struck the wall with a series of metallic clangs.
Sensing that the wall was no longer under fire, Mayuri looked up. The wall had been battered out of shape by the successive arrows.
Fortunately, everything had been blocked.
Even as he felt a sense of relief, a surge of fury erupted from the depths of his heart.
He slammed a hand against the mangled wall, knocking it down. His face was livid with rage as he glared at Shisui.
In that brief moment, Shisui had already slaughtered every enemy.
The Quincies lay scattered across the room, and the coffin had slammed into the floor.
Blood splattered everywhere, and the air was thick with the metallic stench of gore.
Only Shisui remained standing in the room, flicking his blade before slowly sheathing it.
Seeing Shisui so composed only fueled Mayuri's anger.
"Shisui, you bastard! You almost dragged me down with you just now!"
"If I hadn't reacted quickly, I would have been riddled with arrows! How do you intend to take responsibility for this?!"
Facing Mayuri's wrath, Shisui simply shrugged, his face a mask of calm.
"Are you not unharmed?"
"Is whether I am unharmed the issue here?!"
Mayuri fumed, the finger he pointed at Shisui trembling with rage.
Just as he was about to step forward to have a serious settling of accounts, a deep, low voice suddenly echoed in the room.
"Shisui, Mayuri, what are you two doing?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Shisui's expression turned respectful.
Mayuri curled his lip, suppressing his anger.
"Lord Ren."
Both turned toward the entrance. A tall figure stood there, most of his body shrouded in darkness.
Ren stepped lightly from the darkness into the room.
He couldn't help but cover his nose, a look of distaste flashing across his face.
"Ugh, the smell of blood is overwhelming."
He looked around the room, his gaze passing over the dazed Sternritter member.
His eyes swept over the Quincies lying in pools of blood and finally settled on Shisui and Mayuri.
He had arrived just in time to see Shisui's stunt—dodging and leaving Mayuri to face the consequences.
He understood Mayuri's current fury well.
"Mayuri, Shisui didn't do it on purpose."
"For my sake, let it go this time."
Since his superior had spoken, Mayuri had no choice but to accept it.
He crossed his arms and turned his head to the side in a huff.
"Fine. Since you ask, I won't pursue it further."
Having temporarily smoothed over Mayuri's dissatisfaction, Ren walked to the coffin and signaled Shisui.
Shisui nodded, placed a hand on the coffin, and heaved. The lid flew off.
The true face of the remains inside was revealed.
Under Shisui's protection, Ren stepped forward and lowered his gaze to inspect the corpse.
The face was weathered, wrinkles cutting deep like ravines carved by time. With a beard, he looked exactly like the Yhwach double Ren had seen before.
Though he had been dead for nearly nine hundred years, he did not look like a corpse but rather someone in a deep slumber.
With his eyes closed, he looked remarkably peaceful, his inherent violence completely hidden away.
Ren stroked his chin and expanded his senses, but he couldn't detect any aura from the remains.
No, it was likely that because the body had not fully resurrected, there was no aura and no heartbeat.
"This is indeed Yhwach's true body," Ren judged.
Just as he was about to crouch down and reach out to examine it more closely, Shisui interrupted him.
"Lord, just in case he has some trick up his sleeve, let me test it first."
Ren nodded.
He watched as Shisui drew his blade and stabbed into Yhwach's heart.
Thud, thud, thud!
He stabbed three times—in the heart, the brain, and the throat.
Yhwach's corpse remained lying there, undisturbed.
Shisui gave Ren a slight nod.
Ren was about to move when he faintly heard a resonant, low murmur.
It was ethereal, distant yet close.
"My brother... are you going to kill me?"
It was Yhwach's voice!
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]