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"What…!"
"Is what Yhwach said… true?"
"The Captain… there's no way he would kill his own people!"
Yhwach's manic laughter echoed through the recording, amplified by the strange power of the footage, until it penetrated every corner of Soul Society.
The Shinigami of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads froze, stunned. At first disbelief, then a creeping doubt—had they heard wrong?
Because no matter the world or the dimension,
killing your own comrades—turning on your team—was the ultimate betrayal.
Anyone who did such a thing would be despised, reviled, and cursed.
Betrayal…was the one thing even the strongest despised most.
And the Shinigami? From the day they swore their oath, they had dedicated themselves to the Thirteen Squads, to face life and death alongside their comrades.
So in the Thirteen Squads, betrayal was unthinkable.
Yet now, after hearing Yhwach's words…the shock in their hearts was indescribable.
"I mean…"
"Of course the King of the Quincies is cunning! Even at the brink of death, he's trying to manipulate emotions, trying to tear the Thirteen Squads apart!" Renji Abarai sneered within the Sixth Division.
He didn't buy Yhwach's claims. He couldn't believe the Captain would stoop to such monstrous cruelty.
Killing your own during battle? Only a heartless demon could do that.
But…before he could say more, Byakuya Kuchiki cut him off.
"No… Renji. As much as I don't want to admit it, the names Yhwach just spoke… they are real."
"What?!"
Renji's eyes widened. His disbelief was palpable. "Captain… are you serious? How do you even know this?"
"Yanbara Kanre, First Generation Captain of the Third Division…"
"Shijima Chigiri, First Generation Captain of the Fourth Division…"
"Jikkou Naotake, First Generation Captain of the Seventh Division…"
Byakuya spoke with deadly precision, naming the first-generation captains along with the divisions they commanded.
He explained solemnly: "I know these secrets because the ancient records of the Kuchiki clan mention events from a thousand years ago. They even detail the formation of the original Thirteen Squads and everything that happened in that era."
"So… what does the record actually say?"
Renji's face froze. He hadn't expected Byakuya to know something so ancient.
"According to the texts, these captains… suffered some tragic accident. They fell into hell, eternally burned by flames for centuries," Byakuya said, his voice grave.
"Combine that with Yhwach's words…"
He paused, choosing each word carefully.
"I believe 'burned by fire' means they perished amid the chaos of battle, cut down by the flames of a zanpakutō. And the resentment they carried in death… that's why they were condemned to hell, unable to reincarnate for all eternity."
Byakuya exhaled sharply, chills running down his spine.
It was clear now: the Captain hadn't been lying. To force Yhwach into despair and unleash the Bankai of Ryūjin Jakka, the entire Soul Society would inevitably suffer.
And apparently… history had already repeated itself, a thousand years ago.
"No wonder the stories of the first-generation captains are so rare. If it weren't for Retsu Unohana's identity being revealed earlier, I might have completely forgotten they ever existed," Renji murmured, eyes fixed on the screen, his mind reeling.
But Byakuya remained composed.
"It doesn't matter. Even if the Captain once made mistakes, that was the man of the past. Anyone with eyes can see that the current Captain is more compassionate, more benevolent, and has carried the weight of Soul Society's safety alone all these years."
He reflected silently: comparing the present Captain to his thousand-year-old self, it was impossible to say which was stronger.
Then the video showed something unexpected.
After a long struggle, Yhwach's figure was about to be swallowed by the pile of corpses.
But instead of witnessing his death, the Captain turned and walked away, away from the camera.
This was unusual… it went against everything he had said.
"What's he doing?" Renji frowned. "Does he think Yhwach is already doomed, so he can just leave?"
Normally, anyone facing a centuries-old enemy would savor the moment of victory, even if they didn't land the final blow.
Yet the Captain seemed to have set aside all personal vengeance.
Before Renji could puzzle over this, the Captain answered, speaking to Yhwach directly:
"Yhwach… do you know why I kept my distance from you?"
He stopped walking, turning sharply to face Yhwach, trapped atop the mound of corpses, about to be torn apart by spirits.
Beneath his cold, unflinching gaze, a flash of red light ignited—the blade of his zanpakutō.
A searing, explosive crimson light.
It sucked the air from the battlefield, drawing in every ounce of heat and energy, as if the world itself had been consumed.
In that instant, it wasn't just the battlefield trembling. The entire Soul Society seemed to quiver.
"Is… it really coming?"
Cold sweat poured like a waterfall. Countless eyes held their breath, afraid to blink and miss what was coming.
Time itself seemed to freeze.
All focus centered on the Captain, everyone waiting for that one, decisive strike.
"After witnessing my true power…"
"You will join the legion of souls in the flames of this zanpakutō… with nothing but despair and regret."
The ultimate end.
Fate severed.
Before Yhwach could react again, the Captain raised his weathered arm. Flames infused the blade, slicing across the battlefield with godlike force, visible even from extreme distance.
A single slash that encompassed all things, erasing the world in its sweep.
Even the video feed shattered into fragments, creating a shattered, kaleidoscopic vision of the devastation.
The last thing viewers could see was Yhwach's broken form, tiny and incomplete against the overwhelming might of the strike.
No defense could withstand it. No one could survive it.
When the fragments faded, the Captain's deep, proud voice rang out:
"Zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka—North!"
"Sky… Earth… Reduced… to Ash!"
"..."
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