"..."
Yamamoto's eyes widened in profound shock.
Above the deathly silent scorched earth, ruins stood in clusters. The hellish contours of the landscape gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if he had seen this exact scene somewhere before.
The scenery continued to spread, covering the sky. The stars twisted and meandered, dripping down faint streams of dim light like molten glass.
It quietly illuminated the decaying world.
The sounds of shattering and the echoes of collapse rang out. Above the cracked earth, everything was scorched red and melting. Embers drifted like snow amidst the permeating thick smoke.
The original Seireitei was continuously being overwritten. An abyssal, giant maw appeared above the barren scorched earth, recklessly devouring and chewing up everything inside.
The sound of bones being crushed sounded exceptionally cruel, making one's scalp tingle with dread.
Naraku Sora's expression lost its usual relaxed demeanor, focusing all his attention entirely on Vajrayati.
The heavy blade gleamed with an abyssal dark red, exuding a terrifying power. Endless Reiatsu surged into it, forcibly dragging the inner world of the blade into reality.
It was different from when he used his Bankai before.
In this state, the consumption of his own spiritual power was immense, and his mind had to be highly concentrated.
The slightest carelessness could cause the constructed landscape to completely collapse. If that happened, Gagaku Kairyū would still appear in the Seireitei, causing terrifying destruction.
Fortunately, there were no external disturbances at the moment, allowing him to devote his full attention to manipulating all of this.
However, just as this thought crossed his mind, the Gates of Hell in the sky opened once again. Countless streams of phosphorus gas spewed out like a surging tide, making the already profound sky grow even darker.
Despair shrouded everyone's hearts.
For Captain-class Soul Reapers, even though they could escape before the giant maw devoured the Seireitei, they would be unable to save the rest of the Soul Reapers.
And in the eyes of ordinary Soul Reapers, this was an apocalypse comparable to the destruction of the world.
It was even more suffocating than the previous Dangai and Valley of Screams incident.
Under these circumstances, even running away became an extravagant hope.
Now, someone had finally stepped forward, allowing them to see a glimmer of hope.
But the reopening of the Gates of Hell directly severed that hope once more. The intense despair felt like countless crawling insects swarming over their hearts, biting away at them bit by bit.
Until everything met its end.
Yamamoto's gaze sharpened. A golden-red fiery light flashed through his pupils, and a rare trace of anger surfaced on his aged face.
He tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, wisps of blue smoke rising from the charred black blade.
In the next second, a torrential downpour of Hell's Wills and Togabito spewed forth from the Gates of Hell, shrouding the sky once again.
Chaotic, sticky Reiatsu scattered across the barren scorched earth. The sudden Reishi storm nearly interrupted the landscape Naraku Sora was maintaining.
The heavy pressure caused his body to let out groans of overwhelming burden. Endless cracking sounds echoed from his joints like firecrackers.
Hell had used some unknown method to forcibly link the power of the Hell's Wills and Togabito with Gagaku Kairyū.
Or rather, they inherently belonged to Hell itself.
As a result, the moment these creatures appeared, they multiplied Naraku Sora's pressure, nearly causing him to collapse on the spot.
"Do you truly think I do not exist?!"
A voice suppressing intense fury suddenly rang out beside his ear. Naraku Sora looked over to see an old man engulfed in flames appearing by his side.
"Leave those scumbags to me. You just focus on dealing with Gagaku Kairyū."
As his words fell, a blazing sun rose above the barren scorched earth.
The charcoal-like blade descended forward, its tip tapping the top of the foremost Hell's Will's head.
Boom!
A muffled, massive explosion erupted. Starting from the tip of the blade, the dense horde ahead vanished in an instant, revealing a giant, abyssal canyon that stretched endlessly out of sight.
Even the scorched earth was annihilated along with them, revealing profound darkness.
Countless Hell's Wills disappeared at this moment, as if they had been completely erased.
If Ryūjin Jakka was the ultimate explosive flame that could incinerate the world, then Zanka no Tachi was the annihilation of all things, sealing that explosive flame within the blade.
The sheer high temperature generated upon its full release was enough to evaporate all the moisture in an entire world.
Perhaps in terms of creation and maintenance, Yamamoto was an amateur.
But when it came to destruction, there were truly few people stronger than him.
The Togabito retreated in terror, trembling as they looked at the canyon that had appeared in an instant. Many of them once again recalled the fear of being dominated by Yamamoto.
Only now did they realize that the enemy Hell had sent them to face was none other than the strongest Soul Reaper in a thousand years, the Head Captain of the Gotei 13—Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni!
Explosive flames poured out, and the ultimate crimson erupted from the charred blade.
Boom!!
A massive mushroom cloud soared into the sky, incinerating everything within it. Billowing waves of heat swept across the earth, and choking thick smoke surged mightily.
As the shockwave spread, the ashes paused for a moment, followed by countless dust particles boiling and burning, evaporating completely in the scorching heat.
When the smoke and dust cleared, the Hell horde, which had been mostly wiped out, reappeared in sight.
The remaining Togabito had eyes full of fear. They stood behind the Hell's Wills, not daring to step forward.
Seeing this, Yamamoto's mood eased slightly.
If it was just this trash, his old bones could still hold out.
He just didn't know how much longer Gagaku Kairyū would last.
If it took too long, he wouldn't have a problem, but he worried that Naraku Sora wouldn't be able to hold on.
Feeling the scorching heat in his nasal cavity, Yamamoto's expression grew a bit more solemn.
*I need to finish this quickly!*
Scorching flames erupted from his scar-covered body, sweeping and covering all directions, evaporating everything.
The temperature climbed once more, as if there were no upper limit.
Zanka no Tachi, West: Zanjitsu Gokui!
Yamamoto was like a man draped in the sun. The erupting flames covered his blade, completely transforming him into a walking natural disaster.
The raging flames turned into an endless ocean, instantly swallowing the enemies and mercilessly burning everything. Even the scorched earth beneath his feet began to melt.
A high temperature of fifteen million degrees—wherever it passed, everything was reduced to flying ash!
The Soul Reapers in the distance were dumbfounded.
For the vast majority of them, it was their first time seeing Yamamoto fighting at full power. The ultimate destruction left the world tottering, making people worry even more if it would completely collapse in the next second.
On the other side, Naraku Sora's actions tugged at everyone's heartstrings.
At this moment, the weight of the entire Seireitei rested on his shoulders. His god-like, ultimate rescue moved countless Soul Reapers.
"The new Gotei 13, huh?"
Saitō Furōfushi sniffled, an undisguised trace of shock flashing in her eyes.
"This kid is truly unexpected, but I have to admit, he definitely lives up to the title."
Beside her, Ōtogawa Furūki, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, took a deep breath and said with a serious face:
"The student surpasses the master. Lord Genryūsai was likely far inferior to Lord Naraku at this age."
"Nonsense, the old man's growth in strength is still something others can accept. But look at that kid, does he even look human anymore?"
"In my opinion, Lord Genryūsai will retire sooner or later, and Lord Naraku will eventually inherit the position of Head Captain."
Right at this moment, Shihōin Chika frowned, saying in confusion:
"Why do I feel like this Gagaku Kairyū shows no signs of disappearing?"
"From the beginning until now, it has already devoured an area the size of two Seireiteis, yet it still remains exactly the same."
"This isn't good..."
Hearing his words, the other Captains turned their gazes toward that abyss-like giant maw, and a strong sense of unease surged in their hearts.
Being at the center of it all, Naraku Sora naturally noticed this as well.
After a brief few seconds of thought, he realized that with his current methods alone, it was absolutely impossible to make Gagaku Kairyū disappear.
This thing probably still held secrets he didn't know about.
Unfortunately, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi was already dead. If he wanted to find out, the only way was to jump into that giant maw...
*Wait!*
Naraku Sora's eyes suddenly lit up, realizing he had found a blind spot.
"Teacher!"
The voice coming from behind caused Yamamoto, who was thoroughly enjoying the slaughter, to pause his movements. He turned his head with a displeased look, glaring at his rebellious disciple, and said in a deep voice:
"What is it?"
"Gagaku Kairyū probably won't close anytime soon. My spiritual power is mostly depleted. At this rate, I'm afraid even throwing both of us, master and disciple, into it won't be enough."
"And so?"
Yamamoto furrowed his brows. "Are you planning to use this opportunity to let the squad members evacuate first while you stay behind to cover the rear?"
"I absolutely refuse—"
Before he could finish, he heard Naraku Sora hurriedly interrupt:
"No, I'm planning to go down and take a look."
"?!"
Yamamoto's eyes widened. With a backhand slash, he annihilated a Hell's Will rushing up behind him, then immediately used Flash Step to dash to Naraku Sora's side, sternly rebuking him.
"You bastard! We finally see a glimmer of victory, and you're telling me you want to seek death?"
"I am one hundred percent certain!"
"Even so, no! I absolutely forbid it!"
"Teacher, just trust me this once."
Looking at the resolute gaze of his disciple, Yamamoto hesitated to speak.
"The inner world of the blade will last for a dozen seconds. I will solve the problem before the Seireitei returns. I'll leave the situation here to you, Teacher."
"Don't worry, old man. I haven't squeezed you dry of your inheritance yet, so I'm not about to check out early."
With that said, Naraku Sora unleashed a burst of Reiatsu, stabilizing the barren scorched earth. Then, under the watchful eyes of countless people, he leaped forward, plummeting into the giant maw like a shooting star.
"Lord Naraku, he..."
"Could it be that Lord Naraku, in order to save us..."
The Soul Reapers who witnessed this scene felt as if they had plunged into an ice cave.
Just as everyone was in a state of panic, scorching Reiatsu instantly swept across the entire battlefield, and Yamamoto's voice reached everyone's ears.
"Believe in him."
Although it was just three simple words, it forced countless people to calm down.
After doing all this, Yamamoto turned his gaze back to the giant maw, a deep worry flashing in his eyes.
Meanwhile, Naraku Sora, who had plummeted into the giant maw, was not feeling very well.
It felt as if countless sharp blades were landing on his skin, frantically attacking the only living creature within this space.
Even with his astonishing defense, he still felt he wouldn't be able to hold out for long.
Realizing this, pitch-black Reiatsu spewed out without disguise, recklessly whipping up a fierce gale, as a hideous demonic mask quietly attached itself to his face.
Chitin-like bone structures scattered across his joints and other vital areas.
*Hollowfication!*
He raised the pitch-black blade in his hand, its branches extending outward.
Vajrayati: Gōshiki Kushō!
Looking at the endless darkness below, Naraku Sora knew very well that he was in a space outside the Soul Society. He then grinned.
*You like to eat, huh?*
Reiatsu crashed down like an inverted ocean, and his body emitted sounds like a bowstring being drawn tight.
Patterns resembling surging magma scattered across his skin.
His five fingers tightly gripped the longsword condensed from stars, slashing down toward the infinite darkness below!
*Then eat your fill!*
Boom!!
A deafening explosion rang out, causing the entire space to boil. Scalding, burning winds vented recklessly, dyeing the darkness crimson.
At the same time, the Soul Reapers outside felt the earth beneath their feet suddenly tremble.
Under the watchful eyes of countless people, countless cracks appeared on that illusion-like giant maw, with dazzling firelight surging within them.
In the next second, a heatwave like magma spewed out, forcibly tearing the giant maw to shreds.
The destruction ended here.
Amidst the dazzling crimson, a figure covered in wounds stepped out, revealing a smile familiar to everyone and waving his hand.
Just as Naraku Sora was about to express some sentimental words, a loud noise like tearing silk suddenly erupted from the sky.
Everyone raised their heads to look.
They saw a giant, deathly pale face slowly peering out from the sky.
Then, before anyone could react, a dazzling golden light descended from the heavens, directly enveloping Naraku Sora within it.
"?"