Full power!
An unprecedented spectacle erupted as black and red lightning poured out, transforming into an endless sea of thunder that surged toward the pitch-black mausoleum!
Hyōsube Ichibē's expression instantly turned extremely grave.
No one knew the power of Futen Taisatsuryō better than him. It was a force capable of erasing everything; anything dyed black would be reduced to nothingness in an instant.
It should have been a completely one-sided battle, but the moment the black and red sea of lightning erupted, he actually felt a bizarre, irresistible sense of being overwhelmed.
The situation did not look good.
The darkness spilling from the tip of the brush obscured the sky over the Seireitei. The boundless blackness was like a bottomless abyss, completely swallowing the sun above the dome.
The Soul Reapers watched this scene in horror; everything happening before their eyes had completely surpassed their understanding.
The exaggerated spectacle was even more suffocating than the Hell Rebellion back then.
Beneath their feet was an ever-expanding darkness that crossed the Spirit Gates and advanced toward the Rukongai.
They wanted to speak, to try and flee this place, but they were horrified to find that no matter what commands they gave their bodies, there was no response.
In this endless darkness, all they could do was slowly savor this fear that seeped deep into their souls.
Almost all the Soul Reapers had the exact same thought in their minds:
*'Are we going to die?'*
At the center of the boundless pitch-blackness, Naraku Sora stood his ground like a god, the twisted giant blade in his hand constantly radiating power outward.
This was the complete condensation of a star, a power capable of destroying everything pushing forward.
"Isn't it just a domain-type ability?"
"As if I don't have one too!"
Naraku Sora gazed at Hyōsube Ichibē, who was suspended in front of the dark palace. The Vajrayati in his hand drooped, its pitch-black branches spreading outward.
Crimson flames ignited from it, forcibly tearing through the ink-black darkness to form a rift-like spectacle.
The Reishi boiled in response, and boundless ruins and wreckage appeared within the rift, descending upon Futen Taisatsuryō like an apocalyptic cataclysm.
It completely overwrote the original scenery.
On the scorched earth, the air danced and distorted from the intense heat. A burning wind carrying ash and sulfur whipped up, blowing away the thick, sky-obscuring darkness to reveal a burning red night sky!
Hyōsube Ichibē subconsciously tightened his grip on Shirafude Ichimonji, his pure white pupils reflecting the two distinctly separated powers.
On the dead, scorched earth, ruins stood in great numbers. The hellish silhouette was exceptionally familiar.
Looking closely, it was clearly the image of the Soul Society after its complete destruction!
The scenery continued to spread, covering the sky. The stars twisted and meandered, dripping wisps of dim light like molten glass.
Silently illuminating the ruined world.
The sound of shattering, the echoes of collapse. Above the cracked earth, everything was burned red and melted. Embers fluttered like snow, and thick smoke filled the air.
Right at that moment, the corners of Naraku Sora's mouth curled into a delighted arc, and he stepped forward.
Following his movement, the ruined world beneath his feet suddenly expanded, recklessly devouring the cluster of mausoleums ahead as continuous cracking sounds rang out.
Hyōsube Ichibē's eyes widened, looking at everything before him in disbelief.
*'So—that's how it is!'*
He finally understood why he couldn't discern the name of that Zanpakutō, and he finally knew why Ichimonji's rules couldn't take effect on Naraku Sora.
Relying on the Manako ability bestowed by the Spirit King, there was absolutely no power in the world he couldn't see through, other than the Spirit King himself.
Even Yhwach was no exception.
But right now, Naraku Sora was the most unique existence!
Simply because his power came from another Soul Society—
No, from another completely destroyed Three Realms!
No matter how strong the Manako ability was, it was impossible for it to affect the power of another world.
*'Then it's not surprising. That explains it.'*
In the instant Hyōsube Ichibē came to this realization, the Vajrayati in Naraku Sora's hand was already raised. Crackling black and red lightning wrapped around it, continuously shattering the surrounding space, and then it crashed down!
"Black Flash・Five Dragons of Destruction!"
The black and red sea of lightning suddenly expanded, transforming into a pillar of destructive light that pierced the heavens and earth, blasting straight toward Hyōsube Ichibē deep within Futen Taisatsuryō!
The monk took a deep breath, his expression grave as he swung Shirafude Ichimonji to meet it.
As a member of the Zero Division protecting the Spirit King, he absolutely could not back down at a time like this, even if the outcome was going to be extremely tragic.
In that instant, the entire world seemed to fall into a standstill; even thoughts completely halted.
The next moment, a dazzling radiance shot up into the sky from amidst the pitch-blackness, like a blazing sun rising into the firmament.
Suddenly, the blackness of the world melted and collapsed like snow.
The Soul Reapers were pleasantly surprised to find that the immense pressure exerted on them had vanished without a trace, and they had regained control of their bodies.
Countless gazes turned toward the center of the battlefield. The ink-blackness that had originally covered the entire sky of the Seireitei had disappeared, replaced by continuously collapsing and shattering space.
The deep, gloomy scenery of the Dangai was reflected above the Soul Society.
Naraku Sora stood amidst the firmament, his lean and muscular body covered in blood and grime. Countless cracks spread across him, making him look exceptionally ferocious, as if he might completely shatter at any moment.
He looked to be in a rather tragic state.
Kyōraku Shunsui subconsciously held his breath, afraid that a single careless move might trigger his junior martial brother and affect the direction of the situation.
Even now, he still hadn't figured out what exactly had happened.
He only knew that Naraku Sora had encountered an unprecedentedly strong enemy, whose strength might even be above Old Man Yama's.
The next second, flesh and blood let out bizarre squelching sounds as countless muscle fibers grew and intertwined, filling in the cracks on his body.
Although his panel stats were already very high, tanking Hyōsube Ichibē's full-powered strike head-on inevitably took a toll on him.
And this battle more or less gave Naraku Sora a clearer understanding of his own limits.
If it were Yhwach before his eyes were opened, he was confident he could beat him into a lapdog.
But if it were a fully recovered Yhwach, then the outcome would be hard to say.
It would most likely end in a crushing defeat.
The Sternritter Schrift "The Almighty" was still a bit too overpowered.
Fortunately, he still had room to grow.
Thinking of this, Naraku Sora broke into a wide grin and looked at Hyōsube Ichibē opposite him.
The burly, robust body stood in place like a city wall. The shock on that rugged face had yet to fade, and the monk opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
However, the moment he opened his mouth, thick, viscous blood sprayed from his chest, instantly soaking his entire body.
A hideous fissure spread all the way from his left shoulder down to his right waist.
Under countless shocked gazes, the upper half of his body slowly slid out of place, revealing a smooth cut.
*Crack!!*
The remaining ink-blackness shattered with a bang, turning into countless Reishi that vanished into the air. The two halves of his body completely separated and plummeted from the sky, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Kirinji Tenjirō, who had watched this world-shocking battle from start to finish, was completely dumbfounded. He subconsciously muttered, "Ichibē, that guy... he's d-dead?!"
Nimaiya Ōetsu crossed his arms over his chest, his expression exceptionally heavy.
Although the overall strength of the Zero Division was greater than the entire Gotei 13 combined, the truth was that Hyōsube Ichibē alone accounted for ninety percent of it.
For Naraku Sora to be able to kill the monk in a head-on battle meant that this guy could absolutely wipe the floor with the three of them—oh, wait, four of them.
Even if they unsealed the Blood Oath Seal at the cost of their own lives, the result would be the same.
The strength of the two sides was no longer in the same dimension.
Thinking of this, the gaze Nimaiya Ōetsu directed at Naraku Sora became exceptionally complicated.
It really hadn't been that long since they last met, so how had he become so unfamiliar?
Naraku Sora reined in his Reiatsu, deactivated his Hollowfication and Bankai, and walked up to Hyōsube Ichibē. He reached out a foot and nudged the continuously bleeding body.
"Playing dead is no fun."
"You still haven't given me what I want."
Hearing this, the monk slowly opened his tightly shut eyes and gave Naraku Sora a somewhat complicated look.
At this very moment, he completely understood why the Spirit King favored the young man before him so much.
When they first met, he had seen three different powers within Naraku Sora: Soul Reaper, Hollow, and Quincy.
Although he was still weak back then, he could control them perfectly.
He originally thought that was the reason the Spirit King valued him.
One must know that the reason the Three Realms could exist stably was because the Spirit King, residing in the Greater Palace, acted as the crucial linchpin.
Even though his limbs were severed and his internal organs hollowed out by the founders of the Five Great Noble Clans, the Spirit King still loved this world, exhausting everything he had to protect the Three Realms.
But this state had already lasted for a million years.
Although he never showed fatigue, as an existence that protected the Spirit King, Hyōsube Ichibē knew very well that they absolutely could not pin all their hopes on the Spirit King.
If one day the Spirit King's power was completely exhausted, or if some problem occurred with the seal, the Three Realms would face an irreversible end.
He had to make preparations in advance, searching for an existence that could become the linchpin before the final end arrived.
This was a world that the Spirit King had poured all his heart and soul into; he absolutely could not let it revert to the primordial era.
Fortunately, Naraku Sora appeared.
A "Soul Reaper" who could perfectly control all three powers.
Although he was still missing the final Fullbring, that was the least important part.
The reason he had stripped off the Spirit King's right hand was to prepare for the future.
When the time came, he would only need to use Ichimonji's power to completely seal that power into Naraku Sora's body, and he could forge a linchpin second only to the Spirit King.
The Three Realms would then be stable once again.
But now, a new problem had emerged.
Before this, as the number one person in the Three Realms aside from the Spirit King, Hyōsube Ichibē had never considered one thing: that he might not be able to defeat Naraku Sora.
The so-called perfect mastery of three abilities wasn't even the most extraordinary thing about this guy.
His true ability was another ruined world.
Thinking of this, Hyōsube Ichibē parted his lips, revealing a somewhat bizarre smile amidst his tragic state. "Haha, this time, I have lost."
"As for that item, have you really thought this through?"