The Quincy's original intention had been to stop Aizen from obtaining the Hōgyoku, and ideally to seize the treasure for themselves.
However, after seeing Angra Mainyu infiltrate Soul Society, the Quincy immediately changed their strategy.
Their priority shifted—from stopping Aizen to stopping Angra Mainyu!
Even though Angra Mainyu had not gone all-out in many battles, he was still a "strong one" that even Yhwach could not see through.
Yhwach had not yet "opened his eyes," but he possessed the ability to "see through souls." Otherwise, he would not have listed the Five Special War Powers.
The so-called Five Special War Powers were the five people in front of him whom Yhwach could not fully read.
Of course, it was certain that it was no longer only five.
At least for now, both Yoshio and Angra Mainyu had been listed by the Wandenreich as candidates for the Special War Powers.
Yoshio represented "mysterious," while Angra Mainyu represented "danger level."
Aizen had displayed his strength in the battle of Karakura Town, instantly defeating captains such as Shunsui Kyōraku, and was originally meant to be classified as a "Special War Power." But due to Aizen's recent activity, the timing of his classification had been moved forward.
Even among Special War Powers, priorities differed.
Aizen was extremely powerful, but he still had not broken the limits of the soul.
Second, even if he could break through with the Hōgyoku, no one knew what his upper limit would be.
Third, he was ultimately a Shinigami. To the Quincy, he was not as threatening, and they did not hate him as much.
Thus, after a brief discussion, Yhwach issued an order to change the elimination priority to Angra Mainyu.
Angra had likely surpassed the limits of Hollow evolution, surpassed the level of a Vasto Lordes, and become a transcendent existence. And most importantly…
The Defrauder node.
The Quincy would never allow the birth of a new Hollow King.
That was why, at this time, the Wandenreich acted.
Of course, there was another purpose: to allow Surtr to formally complete the final stage of evolution.
Surtr was a "hybrid existence," her power composed of multiple elements.
In truth, Yhwach had already planned her path.
The first step was synthesis, using suitable materials.
Then, the vengeful spirits formed from countless suffering Quincy souls within the Research and Development Bureau would amplify the effect of Ragnarok.
The Quincy's resentment would be transformed into a concrete "power against Shinigami."
In the end, one would obtain the power of "Judgment."
The Sōkyoku had originally been used to judge Shinigami, but Surtr would ultimately turn them into the final Great Sword of Judgment—the flaming greatsword she would cast in Ragnarok to destroy the world.
At that time, at the end of Ragnarok, she would throw the demon sword and annihilate the entire Soul Society and all Shinigami within it.
Once Surtr absorbed the Sōkyoku's power, she would qualify to enter the Royal Guard and become its fifth member.
At this moment, Surtr also used "Vollständig" and unleashed all her spiritual pressure!
In an instant, her body swelled like a giant of flame.
She grew to a colossal size comparable to Komamura's Kokujo Tengen Myō'ō. The blazing flames around her were like Ryūjin Jakka. And in that moment, the greatsword engraved with the mark of Ragnarok began absorbing the Sōkyokus into its blade one after another like fire phoenixes!
With absolute subjugation over spirit particles in her perfected holy state—plus prior adjustments and Baelz's technical support—she could absorb the Sōkyoku!
The sword in her hand was wrapped in flames, as if an immortal phoenix were crying clearly within it.
Angra looked at Surtr and smiled.
"Yhwach must have grown senile. He seems to have misunderstood something."
He watched Surtr, who had even used Vollständig and released her full power, then pressed the tip of his sword to the ground.
"If you want to face me, at least send all the Sternritter!"
The moment he finished speaking, black mud seeped from his body.
The flowing black mud carved countless runes into him. And with that explosive power, he returned to his original form!
Resurrection!
Before Angra became transcendent, his resurrection originally had three stages.
The third stage was effectively a fusion of the first and second stages—formally elevating him into a transcendent existence.
In other words, once transcendent, it was essentially equivalent to maintaining three-stage release indefinitely.
From this stage onward, he could no longer draw his sword—yet that did not mean there were no other ways to increase his combat power.
After all…
Unlike Hollows who merely returned to an ancestral form to become Arrancar, he became a Arrancar by perfectly combining Shinigami and Hollow powers and breaking the boundary of the soul!
At that instant, the overflowing darkness gathered into his Zanpakutō.
Bankai: Primordial Sea of Darkness!
Boom!
His Zanpakutō became a pitch-black blade. Eyes surfaced from the darkness. The sword looked drenched in malice—terrifying and sinister.
Zanpakutō release!
Hollow evolution was Resurrección, and a Shinigami's way of increasing power was Zanpakutō release!
But Angra could not use Shikai—only Bankai.
Because Shikai was, in a sense, the Shinigami's own ability.
A Shinigami's Zanpakutō had two stages: Shikai and Bankai. Shikai was primarily the Shinigami's own power and could not be manifested under ordinary conditions.
Like Yhwach's Schrift, Yhwach's blood only activated abilities that already existed but could not be used normally.
A Zanpakutō was essentially Yhwach's blood—an artifact that granted Shinigami the power to activate their abilities.
When the ability fully activated, it was called Shikai.
Bankai was different. If Shikai was mainly the Shinigami's own ability, then Bankai was mainly the Zanpakutō's ability.
A Zanpakutō was nurtured from the essence of a Shinigami's soul. Only through deep fusion between the two could one reach the realm of Bankai.
A Hollow's Resurrección was, in reality, the Shinigami's Shikai—returning to one's original form.
Angra had already released the third form, his most essential state, so he could not enter Shikai and could only use Bankai directly.
Though the initial boost of Shikai was lost, by directly using Bankai, Angra could obtain a massive power-up once again!
Boom!
A black sea current surged like countless crystals steeped in rot. From every crystal seeped boundless malice.
And the endlessly proliferating evil flow that appeared at the moment it materialized made the domain of Ragnarok even more "real."
"What…?"
Surtr's pupils widened. Even she, usually emotionless, was shocked by Angra Mainyu's strength at this moment!
So strong…
Is this the ultimate evil existence that surpasses the limits of the Hollow void—approaching the
Feeling the surging current, Surtr suddenly hallucinated as if she were being baptized by a tide.
In that moment, countless malicious thoughts swirled in her mind. It was as if her desire was not to destroy Shinigami and Hollows—but to destroy all Quincy!
Surtr's pupils expanded. She instinctively stepped back.
They hadn't even exchanged blows, yet it felt as if she had already experienced a great battle in her inner world. Simply looking at Angra Mainyu made her feel as though her mind was being manipulated.
Surtr hurriedly closed her eyes. The next moment, flames burst from her body. Those flames were originally Ryūjin Jakka's fire, but after fusing with the Sōkyoku, they were reborn—seemingly surpassing their own nature.
Yet the burning flames did not reassure her. Even with her eyes closed, the scene she had just seen burned into her mind, and her spirit continued to be corroded.
Boom!
Realizing that if she delayed any longer she might be brainwashed, Surtr launched her attack immediately.
After reaching the realm of a perfect holy state, she transformed into a true giant of flame. Above her head hovered a crimson halo; behind her spread enormous wings flowing like magma.
She looked like both a giant from Norse myth and an angel from scripture. Combined, the two produced tremendous power.
On this battlefield of Ragnarok, Surtr—who represented Surtr—would not lose!
Boom!
Raging flames surged like a vast sea. Angra Mainyu spread his arms wide, and the dark sea beside him churned violently as well.
The flames that seemed able to burn everything vanished silently upon touching the dark sea—without even causing a ripple—as if swallowed by seawater.
"There's no need to be surprised."
Angra Mainyu stopped and looked up at the enormous Surtr, speaking gently.
"Gaining home-field advantage and new power is indeed a great boost for you, but it still isn't enough to bridge the gap between us."
"If you want to face me, at least send an army!"
"…"
Surtr took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.
"You're right. Then… face the army."
As soon as she spoke, Quincy figures emerged one after another from her huge shadow.
They stepped out of the shadows and stood on this charred, dark battlefield.
Like the sun sinking at dusk, the massive burning cloud did not illuminate the world; instead, it exuded an atmosphere of withering, desolation, barrenness, and despair.
In this domain of heaven and earth, a giant of fire faced a sea of darkness, while countless shadows appeared like violent demons of Ragnarok.
In Ragnarok, nearly all the gods—including Odin, Thor, and Surtr, fated to destroy the world—were slain by violent demons.
Surtr should have been invincible. Even Freyr of the Vanir would have lost to her.
But now, what she faced was not a god to be killed—but a demon.
A demon among demons—more violent, more terrifying, and more powerful than her!
He was ten times more terrifying than that fearsome Surtr! A hundred times more powerful than that mighty Surtr!
A thousand times more evil than that wicked Surtr!
Because he was the incarnation of evil, the symbol of corruption, the king of broken souls—all the evil in the world.
Even the invincible flame giant, in the fate of Ragnarok, had to rely on others' power!
"Only ten people? At least two of them look decent."
Behind Surtr, hundreds of soldiers appeared, yet the Sternritter were only ten. Few in number, yet their pressure matched an army of a thousand!
Facing the demonic coalition, Angra seemed numerically advantaged.
"So this is Ragnarok? Such a large-scale war, yet everyone isn't interfering with each other, maintaining separate battlefields?"
Sōkyoku Hill was not that large. Even this battlefield alone was enough to affect the entire region, yet he sensed no presence of others.
This was also Ragnarok's battlefield partition ability: each person was assigned a predetermined opponent… or else controlled by Surtr.
This ability alone was extremely powerful. If Surtr used it, she could easily lead the Sternritter into a righteous brawl.
But doing so was meaningless.
Yhwach wanted war, not one-sided slaughter.
The ten Sternritter who emerged were mostly elites—including one of his guards.
The Sōkyoku's heart, the Miracle of "M," Gerard Valkyrie!
Even Angra Mainyu could not underestimate such a lineup.
Only…
They still hadn't reached their peak.
After all, in the manga, when the Royal Guard prepared to attack the Sōkyoku Palace, crucial holy reinforcements would arrive.
Yhwach had not yet activated the Apostle to distribute power to them.
Even so, Angra did not take them seriously.
"It seems that before you step out from the shadows, a few of the Sternritter will be lost."
Angra said with great interest.
"Hope you can gather the Sternritter by then!"
…
At this very moment, outside Surtr's battlefield—
Under Surtr's power, the entire Sōkyoku Hill had turned into a special space.
Surtr faced Angra Mainyu, while everyone else had enemies of their own.
Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake were on one battlefield. Ichigo Kurosaki and Byakuya Kuchiki were on another. The other captains were likewise split apart.
Because, at this moment, Unohana's message finally arrived.
This was also part of the Quincy's plan.
First, intercept Unohana's "Tenteikūra," then pass it to the captains at the right time, making the "captains fight each other."
The perfect opportunity was when Surtr used Ragnarok to partition the battlefield!
Thus, they had no way to escape—only to fight desperately until death.
Furthermore, because the battlefield was partitioned, Surtr could only deliver the message to a few captains on Aizen's side. The captains in other battlefields never received it.
This would exhaust most of the Shinigami's manpower, stall their advance, and slow Aizen's progress in breaking through Ragnarok.
Otherwise, if the Tenteikūra message reached Aizen, he could simply use Kyōka Suigetsu to hide himself and his friends—making the plan meaningless.
However…
Unlike the original story, this time Unohana only knew that Yohsio and Aizen were conspiring. She did not know that Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen were also conspiring.
Therefore, the message transmitted through Tenteikūra was the same as before, except that it only stated that Yohsio, Aizen, and Momo Hinamori had betrayed them.
Meaning: after trapping the remaining captains, they only learned that Gin and Tōsen were also allied with Aizen.
The remaining captains originally wanted to attack Aizen, but were stopped by Gin and Tōsen.
After the initial filtering, there were not many team leaders left.
Hitsugaya had been severely injured in Seireitei. Retsu Unohana was treating him. Kenpachi Zaraki had also fallen in Seireitei.
Among the thirteen captains: three couldn't arrive, four betrayed the group, one fought the Ryoka, one fought a former captain and friend.
That meant only three combatants remained.
Second Division Captain Soi Fon, Seventh Division Captain Sajin Komamura, and Twelfth Division Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
At this time, on this isolated battlefield, like Aizen, Mayuri merely stood aside and watched others fight.
Komamura angrily fought Kaname Tōsen, repeatedly questioning why he betrayed Soul Society and what he truly felt.
Soi Fon also fought Gin Ichimaru.
At this time, Mayuri said, "What exactly about Kuchiki Rukia concerns you so much?"
He didn't seem to care about Aizen's betrayal. Instead, he asked with burning eyes:
"The key to evolution."
Aizen replied softly. "I call it the Hōgyoku."
"I see," Mayuri said. "So this is what you and Urahara Kisuke were studying. How surprising. You've only reached this level."
Mayuri's words were full of sarcasm, as if he looked down on the so-called Hōgyoku even though Aizen hadn't explained it.
Hearing Mayuri's sarcasm, Aizen asked, "Climbing the Tree of Life, is it?"
…!
At the words "Tree of Life," Mayuri's pupils widened. He seemed shocked that Aizen knew that term.
"The information you have came from murals Tokinada Tsunayashiro obtained," Aizen continued calmly. "But the source is not only one place."
"There are many people searching for the entrance to the Tree of Life. You. Me. Even the gods."
"But…"
He didn't continue, because an eruption of flames interrupted their conversation.
Suddenly, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto arrived. He stared at Sōsuke Aizen and surveyed the battlefield.
"Captain Aizen. I will give you a chance to explain."
Yamamoto spoke in a low voice.
"…"
Aizen looked at Yamamoto, who had appeared suddenly, glanced at the world around them scorched by fire, and murmured:
"We can't easily get out, but people from outside can enter?"
"Or is this also a battle brought by fate?"
Then he looked back at Yamamoto and said calmly:
"Explaining before a fight is a compromise of the weak. I don't need it."
"In other words, you implicitly agree with the message you just received."
Yamamoto's body suddenly ignited in flames. Even as Commander, the situation was not optimistic. If he didn't step out from seclusion, the Gotei 13 might truly face annihilation!
Facing Ryūjin Jakka, Aizen stood there unafraid.
"Unfortunately, even Soul Society's last remaining strength has entered this closed world…"
Aizen said softly.
"Who else can stop Captain Yoshio now?"
…?!
Yamamoto's eyes widened.
"Your target is… Kuchiki Rukia!?"
Unohana had stated directly that Yoshio and Aizen were conspirators and traitors, but she didn't know where Yoshio had gone—only that another Rukia was beside him.
So Yamamoto didn't realize it until Aizen spoke…
Was their target truly Rukia?
…
Outside—
Sōkyoku Hill was completely empty.
The captains, the Sternritters, and the traitors had all fallen into a mysterious unknown space. They looked like they were in Soul Society, yet in reality, they weren't.
So Rukia, still on the execution platform, couldn't understand what was happening even after seeing the captains suddenly vanish.
Before she could process it, she saw a familiar figure appear.
"…"
Rukia froze for a moment, then cried out with a voice mixed with shock and joy:
"Captain Yoshio!?"
Yes. The one who appeared at Sōkyoku Hill was Yoshio.
Beside him stood Yamiko. Yamiko looked around and said, "A strange ability. I can clearly sense the captains' spiritual pressure, yet I can't see them."
Yoshio smiled faintly, didn't answer Yamiko, and instead looked up at Rukia.
"Rukia. I came to save you."
"Captain…"
Rukia, startled, hurriedly said, "Save me? But… wouldn't that violate Soul Society's orders?!"
"…Actually, I'm already so happy that you came to see me one last time."
She truly was happy. During the execution, she thought she would never see Yoshio again.
She didn't want to hurt Yoshio's feelings and didn't want to hesitate, but meeting him again at this moment made her heart tremble…
She was moved, and she was happy.
…