[Yhwach stood over Yamamoto's fallen form, his expression cold and merciless. The Quincy Emperor's voice carried across the battlefield with absolute authority.]
["When you dealt with Aizen's war, you did not exhaust all means," Yhwach declared, his tone filled with disdain. "You even prevented Ichigo Kurosaki from joining the fight."]
["Ridiculous!" Yhwach's voice rose with contempt. "You even blamed yourself for implicating a mere human like Ichigo Kurosaki."]
["And now, you carry not only the burden of Soul Society, but also that of the World of the Living. How pathetically soft you have become."]
[Ichigo Kurosaki]: Wait, what? Captain Yamamoto was trying to keep me out of the fight to protect me?
[Ichigo Kurosaki]: I had no idea... I thought he just didn't trust me or something
[Ichigo Kurosaki]: Why didn't he just ask for help? I would've fought alongside you guys no matter what!
[Renji Abarai]: Ichigo... Captain-Commander was always protective of others, even when he didn't show it
[Rukia Kuchiki]: This is so different from the stern old man we thought we knew
Ichigo clenched his fists, feeling a mix of frustration and newfound respect for the old captain.
He's just like me... trying to protect everyone, even if it means shouldering everything alone. But that's exactly what made him vulnerable...
[In the projection, Yhwach's cold voice continued to echo across the battlefield.]
["So you have weakened, Yamamoto Shigekuni. The current you is completely different from your past self."]
["You know, the Gotei 13 that you originally established was a group of killers who murdered in the name of protecting the court. That is why you were such a formidable leader."]
["You were once called the 'Sword Demon.' When crushing your enemies, you would stop at nothing—let alone humans, even the lives of your own subordinates were treated as dust, utterly expendable."]
[Yhwach's eyes gleamed with a mixture of nostalgia and contempt as he recalled the terror Yamamoto once inspired.]
["I still remember the fear you once instilled in me. But that has all passed."]
[Shunsui Kyoraku]: The old man... was he really that ruthless back then?
[Jushiro Ukitake]: Those were different times, Shunsui. Soul Society was... darker then
[Mayuri Kurotsuchi]: Keh keh keh... so the old fossil had some backbone after all
[Byakuya Kuchiki]: The Captain-Commander's methods may have been harsh, but they were necessary for survival
[Sajin Komamura]: Captain-Commander... you sacrificed so much for Soul Society's peace
The Shinigami of the Gotei 13 fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts about their leader's past. The weight of Yamamoto's transformation—from ruthless warrior to protective father figure—settled heavily upon them.
[Yhwach's voice cut through the silence like a blade, each word dripping with disdain.]
["But ever since you eliminated our Quincy forces, you have changed completely."]
["You, who gained peace, found far too many things to protect. You became far too compassionate..."]
["For the sake of so-called justice and pride, you hesitated and degenerated into a band of cowards."]
["You will never understand, even unto death—Soul Society is about to perish."]
["The Gotei 13 died along with us one thousand years ago!"]
[Aizen Sosuke]: How fascinating... even Yhwach recognizes the fundamental weakness that compassion brings
[Ichigo Kurosaki]: Shut up, Aizen! There's nothing weak about protecting people!
[Aizen Sosuke]: Oh, but there is, Kurosaki-kun. Observe what such 'noble' sentiments have cost your precious Captain-Commander
[Uryu Ishida]: His Majesty speaks the truth... the Gotei 13 lost their edge when they chose protection over victory
[Chad Sado]: Ichigo's right. Protecting others isn't weakness—it's what makes us human
[Toshiro Hitsugaya]: Damn that Quincy... he doesn't understand what it means to have something worth protecting
In the projection, Yhwach raised his hand, spiritual pressure building around his form like a storm of destruction.
["Your softness ends here, Yamamoto Shigekuni."]
[With that final declaration, Yhwach unleashed his power directly at Yamamoto's broken body.]
[BOOOOM!!!]
[CRASH!!!]
[The devastating blast completely obliterated what remained of the Captain-Commander's form, leaving not even the smallest fragment of flesh or bone behind. The ground itself was scorched and cratered from the overwhelming force.]
[Yhwach stood amidst the destruction, his expression unchanged, as if he had merely swatted an annoying insect.]
[Ichigo Kurosaki]: What the hell?! He's already dead and this bastard is still—
[Renji Abarai]: That's going too far! Even for an enemy, that's just sick!
[Ikkaku Madarame]: Cowardly piece of shit! Show some respect for the dead!
[Yumichika Ayasegawa]: How utterly tasteless and barbaric
[Rangiku Matsumoto]: Captain-Commander... even in death, he can't find peace
[Isane Kotetsu]: This is horrible... absolutely horrible
[Rukia Kuchiki]: Such cruelty... there's no honor in desecrating the fallen
[Orihime Inoue]: Why would he do something so awful? Captain Yamamoto was already...
The Shinigami watching the projection were filled with righteous fury. Their beloved Captain-Commander had already fallen through Yhwach's underhanded tactics, and now this final insult was beyond their tolerance.
The sight of their leader's complete annihilation—not just his death, but the utter erasure of his very existence—sent waves of grief and rage through every member of the Gotei 13.
[Shunsui Kyoraku]: Old man... you deserved better than this
[Retsu Unohana]: Such disrespect for the dead... it reveals the true nature of our enemy
[Kenpachi Zaraki]: Tch... even I wouldn't spit on a dead opponent. This Quincy bastard has no warrior's pride
[Mayuri Kurotsuchi]: Interesting... his hatred runs so deep that mere victory wasn't sufficient
[Byakuya Kuchiki]: This Yhwach... he is beneath contempt
As the smoke cleared from Yhwach's devastating attack, the Quincy Emperor stood motionless, surveying his handiwork with cold satisfaction. The great Yamamoto Shigekuni—the man who had once been called the strongest Shinigami in a thousand years—had been reduced to nothing more than a memory and a crater in the ground.
The weight of what they had witnessed settled over everyone watching the projection. This was not just the death of a leader, but the symbolic destruction of everything the Gotei 13 had represented for centuries.