The apocalyptic slash ended the ranking, shattering the screen. The lingering blade light could've destroyed an entire division if not for the fragmented display. Silence fell for minutes as viewers struggled to process the world-ending scene.
"Too terrifying! Compared to this, all previous slashes were child's play!" Toratetsu Yūna of the Fourth Division stammered, protected by Unohana Retsu. "Even my Minazuki pales before Zanka no Tachi's blade," Unohana admitted, awed by Yamamoto's power.
In the Wandenreich's Silbern, silence reigned. The Quincy knights, from Haschwalth to the Sternritter, were speechless, their faces frozen. Yhwach, their king, had been reduced to a backdrop for Yamamoto's might. His mangled body in the shattered screen haunted them. "Your Majesty… wake up! That old man could wipe out the Wandenreich alone!" they feared.
Meanwhile, in Karakura Town, the battle intensified. "Rukia!" Byakuya and Renji shouted as Rukia Kuchiki, in her black Shinigami garb, was captured by Yammy Llargo. Her recent mission to Karakura had drawn her into the fray, only to be overpowered.
"Damn you, Espada! Let her go!" Byakuya roared, his cool facade breaking. Ulquiorra Cifer's slash sent him crashing into rubble. "Worry about yourself, Kuchiki. Your future strength is puzzling," Ulquiorra sneered, dismissing him.
Sensing approaching reiatsu, Ulquiorra ordered, "Yammy, we're leaving to avoid complications. The anti-membrane is descending." Yammy grumbled but complied, dragging Rukia into the yellow light pillars. "Want to save her? Come to Hueco Mundo!" he taunted Byakuya.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō tried to intervene with Hyōrinmaru's ice dragon, but it passed through the anti-membrane harmlessly. "What is this?!" he gasped, unable to comprehend the phenomenon.
Hirako Shinji arrived too late with the Visoreds. "Missed them," he sighed, explaining the anti-membrane's nature—a spatial barrier isolating its occupants. "Tell Yamamoto the truth about a hundred years ago will soon be revealed in the rankings," he told Byakuya before vanishing.
In the Fifth Division's basement, Aizen, unaware of Rukia's capture (and thus the Hōgyoku's proximity), watched the rankings. "Seeing Zanka no Tachi early clears many obstacles," he mused, thrilled at surviving to the top three.
Gin teased, "Guess if you'll make the top three, Captain Aizen." The screen flickered, revealing: NO. 4: Ichibē Hyōsube, Zero Division Leader, Namer of All Things in the Soul Society. Aizen's excitement surged—he wasn't fourth!
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