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"Cut the name, not the flesh…"
"So as long as his ink touches you, half of your power is forcibly taken away? What an absurd, overbearing ability. And there's no workaround at all…"
Deep beneath the Fifth Division, inside a hidden underground chamber.
Aizen stood with his hands behind his back, motionless like a statue, staring at the transparent screen before him. His mind, however, was racing.
After witnessing such a heaven-defying power, he had no choice but to think seriously.
If one day he were to replace Yhwach and stand opposite Ichibē Hyōsube himself… how exactly was he supposed to deal with something like that?
The answer…
There didn't seem to be one.
Yes. Even someone as proud as Aizen had to admit it now. With the power he currently possessed, he simply wasn't qualified to face the monk.
The pinnacle of Shinigami strength?
Useless.
The aura radiating from Hyōsube Ichibē had clearly surpassed the realm of Shinigami altogether. It existed on an entirely different level.
Kyōka Suigetsu's perfect hypnosis?
Aizen didn't believe for a second that the leader of Squad Zero, the oldest being in Soul Society, could be fooled by it.
Not to mention that to hypnotize the monk, he would first need to see Kyōka Suigetsu's Shikai with his own eyes.
"Hm?!"
At that thought, Aizen froze for a split second.
Then, deep within his pitch-black eyes, a surge of wild joy ignited once more.
Right…
How did I forget something so obvious?
In the later ranking segments, Kyōka Suigetsu's secret is guaranteed to be exposed.
He doesn't need to deliberately release his Zanpakutō in front of the monk, or anyone else. As long as they watch the ranking footage, they'll inevitably witness the Shikai release of Kyōka Suigetsu.
And once that happens…
The outcome speaks for itself.
A faint, calm smile appeared on Aizen's flawless face, and his gaze grew even more confident.
Yes. That's right. The advantage is on my side.
As long as the footage shows Kyōka Suigetsu's Shikai activation, then even without obtaining the complete Hōgyoku…
I, Aizen, can still control everything.
The scene shifted back to the battle.
Brush in hand, prayer beads on his head.
Under a close-up shot, the camera deliberately captured the overwhelming killing intent on Hyōsube Ichibē's face.
At this moment, he no longer looked like the loyal guardian of the Soul King and protector of the three realms.
Instead, he resembled a judge from the underworld itself, holding the Book of Life and Death, deciding fates without mercy.
Across from him, beyond the pitch-black forbidden line that felt like an unbridgeable chasm, Yhwach could barely even stand after losing half his power.
Blood poured endlessly from his shattered wounds. Yet every drop that touched the black ink of his cloak was instantly and eerily assimilated, turning pitch black.
The bizarre, unsettling sight made most viewers break out in cold sweat once again, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
"How does it feel…"
"You've lost half your strength, King of the Quincy. Looks like even your bones are about to snap."
The monk's lips curled into a mocking grin, as though he were watching a lowly insect struggle to crawl toward him.
Of course, enjoying himself didn't mean he intended to hold back.
As Hyōsube Ichibē raised his brush once more, preparing to deliver the final, fatal blow to Yhwach—
Suddenly—
"Heh… hehehe… hahahahaha…"
Staggering footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
Yhwach lowered his head. His shoulders shook violently as manic laughter burst from his throat, utterly out of place given his miserable condition.
"Hm?!"
After so many twists already, the powerful figures watching the footage immediately sensed it.
It looked like… it was Yhwach's turn again.
Sure enough—
"How do I feel? You're actually asking me how I feel?"
His long black hair fell back as he snapped his head up, revealing a ferocious, roaring expression.
Yhwach sneered with contempt. "Leader of Squad Zero, commander of all Shinigami. You weakened me because you were afraid of my power, weren't you?"
Throwing the monk's own words right back at him, Yhwach asked coldly,
"But tell me… do you really think you succeeded?"
"What… do you mean?!"
The expression of calm slaughter vanished.
Hearing Yhwach's words, the big-eyed monk frowned slightly. A trace of wariness flickered through his round eyes, almost too subtle to notice.
Rationally, Hyōsube believed Yhwach couldn't possibly break the power of "cutting the name, not the flesh."
But…
That insane laughter.
The confidence in Yhwach's eyes and voice when he looked up again.
All of it made Hyōsube stay on guard.
"I grant myself… power!!!"
Before everyone's eyes, Yhwach spread his arms wide. His red-and-black cloak billowed violently despite the lack of wind.
The power that had been stripped away surged back into his body at the sound of his voice.
Even more shocking—
Every single wound healed instantly.
In the blink of an eye, everything returned to how it had been at the very beginning, when he first stepped onto the stone steps of the Seireitei.
There was only one difference.
The big-eyed monk had already exposed his trump card.
Yhwach, meanwhile, stood completely unharmed.
"What the hell?!"
"He just talks and gives himself everything?!"
"So this is literally 'whatever he says goes'? On what basis does Yhwach get to do this?!"
…
This time, it wasn't just shock. It was pure, overwhelming jealousy.
Yes.
"Granting oneself power with words alone."
Such an outrageous, absurd ability had fully earned the audience's resentment and curses.
Anyone who had endured this far under pressure surpassing even the peak of Shinigami strength, whether they were Espada or captains of the Gotei Thirteen, all felt the same.
Every single one of them wished they could replace Yhwach.
To wield that kind of reality-warping authority.
"Heh, interesting…"
Even Ichimaru Gin couldn't help but sound sarcastic. "After fighting for so long, we're back at the starting line? Gods sure know how to test your patience…"
"Not necessarily."
Beside him, Aizen shook his head calmly. "Look closely. That vile monk is already furious because of Yhwach's provocation."
"You think the big-eyed monk still has a way to counter this 'self-granting' ability?" Gin asked, a bead of cold sweat sliding down his forehead.
Endless trump cards. One after another.
This level of combat was truly… insane.
"Exactly."
Aizen nodded slightly, cutting straight to the point. "That so-called 'cutting the name, not the flesh' is merely an innate effect of the brush when it's swung. It's equivalent to a Zanpakutō's normal attack."
"In other words…"
After a brief pause, Aizen deliberately lowered his voice, enunciating every word.
"From start to finish, the monk never released his Zanpakutō. 'Cutting the name, not the flesh' was nothing more than his most basic power."
"..."
Gin completely shut down.
Holy crap.
So one guy can regenerate infinitely, and the other has only been using basic attacks this whole time?
What kind of nightmare is this?!
Just as Gin was on the verge of swearing out loud—
Inside the footage.
After enduring Yhwach's repeated provocations, the big-eyed monk immediately responded with an entirely new offensive.
"Secret Hadō, Third Path. Iron Wind Slayer!"
As Yhwach stepped across the black forbidden line and advanced toward him, the monk glared and roared, drawing in a deep breath.
In a single instant, he sucked in all the air within a hundred-meter radius, along with every particle of reishi inside it.
"Secret Hadō?"
"What kind of technique is that now?!"
Hearing such an unfamiliar name, the Shinigami of the Gotei Thirteen staring at the screen were completely dumbfounded.
Before they could even process it—
The monk's arm swelled grotesquely. Veins bulged like twisted snakes as the condensed reishi compressed to an absurd degree.
Both hands came together, palms facing outward.
Then… he slammed them forward in a furious strike.
In the next instant, a colossal dragon's head burst into existence, filling the entire screen.
The violent hurricane blasting from its jaws shattered the ranking footage itself.
"..."
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