Chapter 190: Shinigami Have Arrived
"There's an old saying in Soul Society."
"Know... when to submit is the mark of a true hero."
"Cooperate with us properly, and we won't treat you poorly."
"Otherwise, I'll have to use various methods to pry open your mouth~"
Seeing Satoru's half-shadowed face revealing a demonic smile, Bambietta let out desperate whimpers.
Witnessing this, Satoru snorted coldly.
"Not talking, huh? Guards, bring out the torture tools!"
"Mmph! Mmph!!"
Bambietta struggled violently.
Smack!
Yamamoto reached out and slapped Satoru's head, sending him flying to the side:
"Fool! You're covering her mouth—how is she supposed to speak?!"
Shunsui: "..."
He never imagined there would come a day when he'd be the one urging others to be serious...
...
...
"Report! Lord Haschwalth! No sign of Lady Bambietta Basterbine in the residential area!"
"Report! Lord Haschwalth! No sign in the training area..."
"Report..."
The golden-haired man stood silently in the hall, listening to his subordinates' reports.
Not long ago, while handling official duties, he suddenly noticed a Reiatsu had vanished.
Bambietta Basterbine.
A standout among the younger generation, a prodigious Quincy.
Gifted and powerful, her personality was equally flamboyant.
Quincy do not naturally generate Reiatsu; they only borrow Reishi from their surroundings during combat, creating Reiatsu fluctuations.
In non-combat mode, a Quincy's Reiatsu fluctuations are extremely subtle and difficult to detect.
But Bambietta was different.
She always kept Reishi circulating around her to flaunt her power.
Thus, the moment she disappeared, Haschwalth noticed immediately.
After confirming that Bambietta couldn't be found anywhere in the Wandenreich, a sense of foreboding arose within him.
He had just visited Bambietta's home.
A trace of spiritual power lingered in the air.
Spiritual power belonging to a Shinigami!
The Wandenreich was constructed by His Majesty Yhwach using his immense power within the shadows of the Seireitei.
Under normal circumstances, no Shinigami's spiritual power should be able to penetrate it.
Haschwalth gazed out the window, pondering for a few seconds.
"Assemble all Sternritter in the central plaza."
Soon, figures clad in white uniforms converged from all directions.
Ever since Yhwach fell into slumber, all affairs of the Wandenreich, big and small, had been handled by Haschwalth.
Though he held no official title, everyone tacitly acknowledged Haschwalth as the empire's highest executive.
The knights waited quietly under the gaze of the golden-haired man standing at the forefront.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Haschwalth spoke:
"Everyone, the existence of our empire has likely been exposed."
"At this moment, the empire is in danger."
"One of our own, Sternritter Bambietta Basterbine, has likely fallen into the hands of the Shinigami."
Upon hearing this, all the Quincy's expressions stiffened.
"How is that possible... The empire's foundation is built upon the unique power of the Quincy. How could the Shinigami have discovered it?"
A girl wearing a large military cap exclaimed in surprise.
Haschwalth shook his head. "It's unclear for now, but based on the scene, it doesn't appear to be a large-scale invasion."
"The Zanpakutō of the Shinigami possess various peculiar abilities. Perhaps one Shinigami's Zanpakutō ability happened to breach the empire's boundaries and abduct Bambietta Basterbine."
Hearing this, the Quincy reacted in various ways.
"Is war coming?!"
"Perfect! I've been wanting to test the Shinigami's strength for a long time!"
"Waaah, little Bambi, my little Bambi!"
Various discussions broke out among the crowd.
Among them, a burly man with messy hair looked up and shouted:
"Haschwalth! Let me take the vanguard! I'll make sure these Shinigami never return!"
Hearing this, Haschwalth glanced at him calmly.
The burly man grinned, awaiting his response.
The next moment, the burly man's expression suddenly changed.
An immense, irresistible pressure abruptly descended!
He let out a muffled groan, unable to even muster the strength to resist before crashing to his knees.
Under his shocked gaze, Haschwalth spoke calmly:
"His Majesty once decreed that no one is to act recklessly before his awakening."
"Our mission is to protect the Wandenreich and quietly await His Majesty's revival."
"I have gathered you all today to remind you that no matter what happens, you must never, in any way, reveal the location of the Wandenreich."
"I have already issued the order to activate the defenses of The Final District."
Upon hearing this, everyone was startled.
A Quincy with a cockroach-like hairstyle couldn't hold back and shouted, "What about little Bambietta? If we activate The Final District, the empire will be completely cut off from the outside world!"
"Little Bambietta will die out there!"
Haschwalth shook his head lightly. "It's of no consequence."
"For the empire, for His Majesty, this is a necessary sacrifice."
"Ugh, how can this be..."
The cockroach-haired Quincy slumped dejectedly and said nothing more.
Just as Haschwalth was about to speak, he suddenly looked up at the sky.
A rift tore open in the azure sky.
A black shadow emerged from the fissure.
Accompanying the shadow was an eerie laughter—
"Success! There really is something here!"
"Kekeke... Quincies, greetings..."
The voice, deliberately amplified with Reiatsu, echoed across the sky.
Hearing this, the Sternritters looked up one after another.
Shinigami?!
Several of the more radical knights immediately prepared for battle.
At that moment, Haschwalth suddenly moved.
He vanished from his spot as if teleporting, reappearing before the rift in the sky.
Then, he drew the sword at his waist and hurled it toward the fissure.
The sword erupted with a ring of white shockwaves, shooting toward the rift before exploding with a blinding light.
Deep blue flames filled the sky!
Amid the explosion, a faint "Rua!" could be heard.
After detonating the sword he had condensed from high-density Reishi and wielded for centuries, temporarily forcing Satoru back, Haschwalth roared:
"Activate The Final District!"
Outside the rift, the terrifying voice seemed to realize something and shouted:
"Senior, help me! They're closing the gate!"
As the voice rang out, another shadow-attribute Reiatsu emerged.
Haschwalth's heart tightened.
But it was the Reiatsu that followed from within the rift that truly frightened him.
It was... a fire-attribute Reiatsu carrying a dry, scorching aura.
Someone on the other side of the rift was unleashing their power.
Like a demon, waiting only for the rift to open before charging through to destroy everything!
He knew exactly who that person was.
Haschwalth's eyes widened in fury as he mustered all his power, drawing a spiritual bow.
Yamamoto Shigekuni!
He must not let this person come through!!