No one knew when it began, but in the very center of Sōkyoku Hill, a deeply oppressive silence had taken hold.
All around, Captains from various Divisions were locked in fierce combat. Lieutenants from various Divisions were also engaged in battle, causing waves of Reiatsu and residual shockwaves to expand violently—but not a single one of these spiritual pressures or shockwaves could reach this area. All of them were blocked.
And what blocked them wasn’t anything else—it was a blazing Reiatsu.
It was like a slowly burning flame, not very conspicuous or magnificent at first, but as time passed, as battles erupted all around, this Reiatsu burned hotter and hotter.
By the time all the Captains and Lieutenants had either actively or passively engaged in combat, this Reiatsu had expanded to its fullest, burning like an invisible sea of fire, roaring with majesty.
The sound of a wooden staff striking the ground rang out clearly, breaking the silence of the scene.
Wearing the Division 1 Captain’s Haori, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto stepped forward with slow yet powerful strides, arriving in front of Kaiser, who had been quietly waiting.
"Is this the situation you’ve been waiting for?"
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto’s gaze toward Kaiser seemed to carry flames.
They were flames of fury.
With the emergence of this anger, the surrounding Reiatsu suddenly became heavy and terrifying, as if it could crush heaven and earth, causing all of Sōkyoku Hill to shake violently.
Faced with this terrifying Reiatsu, one by one, the Lieutenants stiffened, their breathing became labored, and they could no longer move. Some even collapsed to the ground, knees buckling, panting heavily like dying fish out of water.
Even the Captains showed solemn expressions, some sweating profusely—it was clear how terrifying this Reiatsu truly was.
As the target of this Reiatsu, Kaiser’s eyes flickered, his mind somewhat stirred.
Because this Reiatsu was more astonishing, more terrifying than he had imagined.
Undoubtedly, this was the most shocking, the most terrifying Reiatsu Kaiser had encountered since arriving in this world.
And that was only natural.
After all, the man before him was the strongest Shinigami in the current Soul Society.
Having been in this world for so long, Kaiser had yet to encounter anyone whose Reiatsu surpassed his own.
"As expected of the Captain Commander—the strongest Shinigami in a thousand years."
Kaiser first offered a sincere compliment, then responded to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
"However, you’re mistaken about one thing. The person who caused this situation... isn’t me." Kaiser replied with uncommon calm. "Of course, to you, Captain Commander, that probably doesn’t matter, does it?"
No matter what, Kaiser was the center of this chaos, one of its origins.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto clearly understood this, which was why he was so furious.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto struck the ground hard with his wooden staff, shattering it to express his rage.
"As the guardians of Soul Society, the pillars of Seireitei, how could the Captains of the Gotei 13 be involved in such large-scale internal strife?!"
"Disrupting order, defiling the execution ground, challenging authority, creating chaos!"
"The Gotei 13, founded by me, has now become the source of such intolerable misconduct?"
"This... this can no longer be described as a mere lapse in judgment!"
As one who had sworn to protect the order of Soul Society, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto felt nothing but anger over all of this.
Compared to that, Kaiser’s reasons for being here—or even Rukia Kuchiki’s life—had already become insignificant.
This was why Kaiser had said that for Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, this situation made no difference.
No matter the reason, no matter the truth, from the perspective of Soul Society as a whole, none of it mattered anymore.
To Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who had personally established the Gotei 13, the current situation was no different than civil war.
His fury and disappointment had already reached their peak, even bordering on irrational.
"For committing such acts... you should know very well what the consequences will be, Kaiser!"
His thunderous roar shook the air, shaking the hearts of many Shinigami who lacked resolve.
Kaiser’s expression remained calm, as if none of this was outside his expectations, and slowly drew his Zanpakutō.
"No matter what happens today, as the Captain Commander, you cannot ignore my arrival, nor can you ignore the current situation. Otherwise, Soul Society’s order will truly collapse."
"That, for you, would be absolutely unacceptable."
"Therefore, I’ve long been prepared for the battle to come."
Kaiser’s Reiatsu also slowly began to seep out. At first it blew like a gentle breeze, then it grew more and more violent, more and more surging, until it transformed completely into a tempest—into a tangible golden stream of light that collided with Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto’s unmatched, terrifying Reiatsu.
In terms of quantity, it might not match Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto’s—but in terms of quality, it was on par, perhaps even superior.
Many Captains were stunned by Kaiser’s full Reiatsu release, and their gazes grew increasingly complex.
"Impressive." Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto’s eyes gleamed. Though he was angry, he didn’t withhold his praise. "Compared to decades ago, your Reiatsu has become even more powerful."
"The current you stands at the very peak of Second-Class Spiritual Pressure. Just one step—no, perhaps just half a step—and you’ll cross the limit into the entirely new tier of First-Class Spiritual Pressure!"
"In terms of talent alone, you’re the most exceptional person I’ve ever seen—unparalleled!"
As he spoke, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto’s expression turned to rage.
"I once had high hopes for you, believing you could become the new pillar of the Gotei 13, even the entire Soul Society!"
"But you’ve disappointed me far too much!"
"Today, I must show you what it truly means to lead by example as a Captain!"
The wooden staff in Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto’s hand was suddenly twisted apart by an invisible force, breaking into countless splinters.
And with that, what was hidden inside the staff was revealed for all to see.
It was a katana with a simple appearance.
Its hilt was deep purple, its tsuba elliptical, and its scabbard brown. It didn’t look flashy at all, but it exuded a sense of ancientness, desolation, and heat.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto slowly drew his sword and lowered it at his side, the blade pointing diagonally to the ground. An intense heat emanated from it, causing even the untouched ground to hiss and emit scorched smoke.
Seeing this, led by Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake, a number of Captains felt a chill in their hearts and shouted while using Shunpo to back away.
Ichigo Kurosaki, still fighting Kenpachi Zaraki, hadn’t processed what was happening. Seeing the strange phenomenon, he stood there stunned.
"Don’t just stand there, kid!"
Kenpachi Zaraki slashed at him, forcing Ichigo to retreat, and for once, his grim face turned serious.
"The one about to appear is the oldest Zanpakutō in all of Soul Society—the strongest Fire-type power!"
"If you don’t want to die—"
Kenpachi Zaraki suddenly charged in and slashed at Ichigo.
"Then don’t get too close!"
As if to confirm Kenpachi’s words, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto’s Zanpakutō began to unleash a dreadful heat.
"You won’t release your Zanpakutō?"
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto looked at Kaiser and spoke slowly.
"Are you saying that even against me, you’ll do as before—fighting without even using your Zanpakutō’s release?"
Hearing this, Kaiser glanced calmly at the all-too-familiar Zanpakutō in Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto’s hand, then smiled serenely.
"That depends on whether you, Captain Commander, can force me to that point."
Such an arrogant statement made Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto close his eyes.
"You’re quite bold, brat."
His tone became dangerous.
"In that case, pray you won’t be reduced to ash by the flames that incinerate all of creation!"
With those words, the power of his Zanpakutō burst forth completely. Thɪs chapter is updatᴇd by NovᴇlFir(e).nᴇt
"All things in the universe turn to ash—"
His power erupted into an inferno, igniting with terrifying force.
As Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto uttered the name of his Zanpakutō, massive flames not only wrapped around the blade in his hand—they burst outward like a wildfire, spreading in an instant.
The flames roared and thundered, rampaging throughout the area covered by his Reiatsu.
Thus, the ground caught fire, the atmosphere evaporated, and the astonishing heat turned into tangible devastation. The raging flames transformed the area into a sea of fire, engulfing both Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and Kaiser.
True to its name, this was a mighty heat, intensity, and flame capable of reducing all things in existence to ash.
This was the strongest and oldest Fire-type Zanpakutō—the Zanpakutō of the Shinigami said to possess the strongest attack in all of Soul Society for the past thousand years, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
Ryūjin Jakka—the other Zanpakutō that Kaiser once obtained in the Fantasy Library, whose original wielder had now released it.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto made his declaration and swung his Zanpakutō.
The next second, terrifying flames exploded outward.
Atop Sōkyoku Hill, a towering inferno swirled upward, grand and magnificent.