NOVEL WEB Chapter 140: [140] Claim
A meteor-like stream of flame plummeted from the sky, its fiery glow reflecting in the center of Yhwach's eyes, forming a dazzling pinpoint of light.
Until it crashed to the ground with a thunderous explosion.
The searing heat that rushed forth erased the distant beauty of a meteor, transforming into a suffocating, scalding killing intent.
Flames spread outward in all directions, flowing relentlessly from the middle-aged man before him, like molten mercury seeping into the ground's web-like cracks.
Even Yhwach, feeling the overwhelming reiatsu radiating from this man, couldn't help but temper his disdain for the Shinigami's so-called 'captains.' He regarded the man before him with a solemn gaze.
"It seems the Soul Society has more than just Ichibe Hyosube among its capable warriors."
"Shinigami."
"State your name."
Yamamoto stepped heavily from the crater formed by his landing, Ryujin Jakka already unsheathed, its blade wreathed in flames that danced more gracefully than silk ribbons.
Each step he took left burning footprints in the ground.
Even his voice seemed muffled, hoarse beneath the scorching heat.
"You barge into someone's home, wreaking havoc and slaughter."
"And yet, you don't even bother to learn the master's name?"
"Hmph."
Yamamoto's unwavering gaze passed over Saizō's remains, his flames sentiently weaving around the crater where the body lay.
To those familiar with Yamamoto, it was clear the fire in his heart burned no less fiercely than the flames enveloping him.
His heart blazed.
And so, his voice erupted in a roar fiercer than his burning soul. "I am the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 of the Soul Society!"
"Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto."
"Even in death, you'll remember me for a thousand years, Quincy!"
The explosive roar reverberated like a great bell, instantly striking awe into the heart of the lone figure before him.
As the roar echoed, the blazing blade tore a dozens-of-meters-long arc through the air.
Radiant and blinding!
Ryujin Jakka's ultra-hot edge condensed to its utmost, aimed straight for Yhwach's neck.
This reiatsu?!
Sensing the power carried by the incoming blade, Yhwach's heart flickered with surprise, as if he hadn't expected such a formidable warrior to emerge from the modest Soul Society.
But while his mind reeled, his hands didn't falter, moving to intercept the blade's path.
Boom!
Flames surged.
A tidal wave of searing fire engulfed Yhwach's entire frame in an instant.
Yet his body was fully cloaked in resilient Blut Vene, the reishi veins on his skin glowing brilliantly.
But when had Yamamoto's strength ever been limited to his zanpakuto's ability?
Even having perfectly blocked the strike, Yhwach's expression couldn't help but stiffen.
The hands gripping his sword hilt trembled involuntarily, and his feet, nearly buried in the soil, dragged backward through the dirt, producing a grating 'screech.'
Such immense strength?!
As the thought crossed his mind, his hands conjured the faint outline of a Sankt Bogen.
Six arrows fired simultaneously, aimed directly at Yamamoto.
Yet Yamamoto didn't even bother to dodge.
As his blade flashed, the recoiling flames reversed like soaring birds, swallowing the six reishi arrows in a blink, erupting into blinding brilliance midair.
Before the light faded, a torrent of fire surged skyward, piercing the thick smoke toward Yhwach.
Yhwach's billowing black cloak flared, his Quincy cross sword radiating a clear cyan glow.
Eyes wide, pupils constricted, he met the oncoming strike without hesitation.
Clang!
A sound too vast to hear.
Invisible ripples exploded from their clash, spreading in all directions, forming countless waves that shattered the ground beneath.
Two terrifying reiatsu signatures, so potent they couldn't be ignored even from hundreds or thousands of kilometers away, intertwined. Crimson and cyan forces clashed, reducing everything around them to raw reishi.
Yamamoto and Yhwach locked eyes.
Both harbored unmasked, razor-sharp killing intent.
If the war between the Soul Society and the Lichtreich were a card game staked on countless souls and lives, the Shinigami of the Gotei 13 and the Sternritter of the Lichtreich were cards of varying strength.
Yamamoto and Yhwach, however, were the undisputed 'kings.'
Yet, before playing their hands, neither could be certain, who would trump whom, or if the other truly qualified as a 'king.'
Now, after this exchange, both clearly realized.
At the very least, as 'kings,' the other was worthy.
Rumble,
Endless force coursed through their clashing blades. Crimson flames and cyan reishi glows tore past each other, ripping open a pure vacuum, their shockwaves shaking the earth.
The mere aftershock of their blades' passage upheaved vast swathes of earth behind them.
The once-flat ground rippled like ocean waves, rising from plains into hills.
The relentless din threatened to rupture eardrums.
Yet, despite the earth-shaking spectacle, for the two present, this was barely an appetizer.
Sensing the rapidly approaching reiatsu signatures behind them, both Yamamoto and Yhwach instinctively channeled more reiatsu into their blades.
The next strike would be a proper one.
Crimson reiatsu solidified in an instant, forming towering pillars of fire behind Yamamoto.
The ultra-hot air currents radiated outward, incinerating everything in their path.
"Ennetsu Jigoku!"
Yhwach's cyan cross pillars stood unyielding.
A rain of light arrows tore through all obstacles, a vast reishi curtain rising behind him, clashing head-on with Yamamoto's sea of fire.
"Sankt Zwinger!"
Crimson and cyan enveloped a nearly kilometer-wide area.
Their blades met in a locked gaze.
The earth shattered.
From their clashing blades, a deep trench stretched horizontally, its length immeasurable.
Huff…
As the dust settled, Yhwach's figure, cloaked in his black cape, landed on the ground.
He glanced at the bloodstains on his blade, a scornful smirk curling beneath his thick beard.
But when he turned, he saw Yamamoto, one hand gripping his blade, the other clutching the upper half of a mangled corpse, a shallow mark on his shoulder.
At that moment, Yhwach was also turning to look at him.
His smile slowly faded, his gaze toward Yamamoto growing colder.
Beyond the thick smoke rising from the nearly kilometer-wide battlefield, scattered figures gradually emerged, lining up behind Yamamoto and Yhwach.
Behind Yhwach, the shadowy forms of the Sternritter stood in pristine white uniforms, their expressions cold, like battle-hardened veterans. They gazed across the abyss with guarded hearts.
Behind Yamamoto, the Gotei 13 captains were a chaotic bunch, some brandishing blades, others gnashing teeth or licking blood, their faces alight with excitement as they eyed their prey-like opponents across the chasm, eager for the hunt.
The Sternritter, meant to represent the full twenty-six letters, should have outnumbered the Gotei 13 by double.
Yet now, the numbers behind each leader seemed nearly equal.
Clearly, in this first wave of assaults, the Lichtreich's lofty Quincies had suffered a significant blow.
Makoto stood among the crowd, subtly retreating to place old man Yamamoto in front.
But someone poked him with a scabbard from behind, shoving him to the forefront.
"?!"
Makoto whirled around, furious.
Who set me up?!
Turning, he met Unohana's gentle face, adorned with a warm smile.
His anger instantly fizzled.
He rubbed his backside, pretending nothing happened.
But his movement drew attention from the other side.
Yhwach's eyes narrowed as he looked at Makoto, now at the front.
This is the Shinigami who killed Louise?
Just this level…
It seems I placed too many unrealistic expectations on her.
Both sides faced each other across the abyss, their auras heavy, the atmosphere grave.
At this point, everyone realized they had underestimated their opponents.
All knew a regroup and review were needed.
Yet none were willing to step back in their enemy's presence.
Yamamoto and Yhwach's gazes were especially sharp.
Only Makoto, his eyes scanning the varied female Quincies behind Yhwach, felt a sudden, ominous premonition.
Murphy's Law dictates: if something can go wrong, it will.
And so, in this solemn, disciplined setting, a childish, sickly-sweet voice rang out in everyone's ears.
[Hell yeah!]
[Onee-san's uniform, love it! Thigh-high boots with stinky feet are the best! And that cute, disdainful face!]
[Please, Quincy ladies!]
[Come sit on my face hard! (Crazed)]
The hurricane-like outburst swept the somber battlefield, exploding in everyone's minds like quantum text, loud and unforgettable.
Silence fell.
All eyes turned to the young man beside Yamamoto, dressed in a distinctive captain's haori, who at first glance seemed a cool, imposing youth.
But his cold, stern demeanor was now frozen on his handsome face, his expression petrified, his entire being a ghostly gray-white.
Everyone watched him quietly.
Not a word was spoken.
If one had to describe it, it was like two generals in the heat of World War I watching a soldier stand by the Somme's bloody trenches, sticking out his tongue and gleefully lick at the endless crimson.
This wasn't just perverse or niche.
This was a lunatic bold enough to provoke in such an extreme situation!
The Gotei 13 captains behind Yamamoto, realizing this, looked at Makoto with gleaming eyes.
Yes!
This was Makoto!
This perverted Makoto was the real deal!
Zeidritz, standing beside Yhwach, wore a grimace, his brows furrowed so deeply they nearly reached his chin, his face contorted.
What the hell?!
Last time they clashed, how did he miss that this guy was this kind of freak?
He'd have steered clear if he'd known!
Yamamoto subtly stepped aside, casting a faintly resentful glance at Unohana Yachiru, whose smile only widened.
Why push this guy forward in a moment like this?!
"Nice work, Makoto!"
Only Nobutsuna Shigyō, ever the instigator, cheered him on. "That's how we show these bastards what we're made of!"
"That's our Makoto!"
"Truly you!"
The Gotei 13 erupted in laughter, the grim atmosphere from holding a comrade's corpse vanishing entirely.
Makoto's face was pale, his expression ashen.
This damn blade was too much.
But as the Shinigami laughed, a voice slowly rose from the other side.
"How arrogant, Shinigami."
"A mere victory or two, and you're already so full of yourselves."
"But…"
"Is this the extent of your strength?"
Yhwach's voice was calm, as if ignoring the bizarre voice that had invaded their minds, instantly quelling the rising fury of the Sternritter behind him.
But his eyes locked onto Makoto.
A chilling gaze.
He'd clearly marked this man.
Yet Yamamoto stepped forward, casually blocking Yhwach's line of sight to Makoto. A wild, domineering grin split the corners of his bearded mouth. "Our full strength?"
"Small fry like you aren't worthy of seeing it!"
His fierce eyes blazed with violent flames, his voice thundering. "If you Quincies want to seize control of this world from the Shinigami, come and take it!"
"But be prepared to pay with the extinction of your entire race."
"Quincies."
The leaders stared across the divide, their gazes clashing like swords, faintly ringing with metallic echoes.
Finally, a massive spatial rift opened behind Yhwach and his forces, revealing the pitch-black void of the Dangai.
Yhwach turned, glancing at Yamamoto, and said calmly, "I will come to claim it."
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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