While the battle raged on in Hueco Mundo, an equally fierce battle erupted within the Wandenreich, hidden in the shadows of the Seireitei.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!—
The dark Schatten Bereich vibrated wildly. This vibration was not only due to the Schatten Bereich gradually disintegrating, but also from the terrifying aftermath of the attacks within.
Hum~
A violent gust of wind swept through the entire Wandenreich. A giant, hundreds of meters tall, clenched his fists and repeatedly smashed them towards the ground.
"Special War Power? Hahaha, under my 'Miracle,' aren't you still only able to passively defend?"
The reverberations were continuous, stirring up a terrifying storm within this world, but strangely…
The giant's fists, though each strike was fierce, never once landed on the dark passage.
Because if one looked closely, they would find a figure as tiny as a mosquito directly beneath the giant. That figure stood in place, unmoving from beginning to end, merely blocking the giant, meteor-like fists descending from the sky with the back of his hand.
This scene looked incredibly bizarre.
The tiny figure's palm seemed so insignificant compared to the giant's fist.
But it was precisely this insignificant palm that effortlessly bore all of the giant's attacks, even neutralizing his power.
"What kind of monster is this?"
Nearly a hundred meters away, a flying carpet floated in mid-air. PePe Waccabrada, seated on it, watched the center of the battlefield with a look of shock, unable to help but swallow: "Even Gerard in this state can't injure him in the slightest?"
Gerard Valkyrie!
One of the Sternritter, his Schrift was 'M,' symbolizing the ability: Miracle.
Miracle, as the name suggests, refers to things that are practically impossible to achieve under normal circumstances.
And Gerard was the embodiment of Miracle; he could reverse various negative (passive) situations centered on himself into various positive (active) situations.
Simply put, when in negative states such as injury, entrapment, or death, he could trigger Miracle and transform all of these into his own power.
This meant that whether his limbs were severed, he was killed, or imprisoned, he would heal, resurrect, and escape under Miracle. Furthermore, the stronger the power he endured before triggering Miracle, the greater the power he could obtain after Miracle occurred!
And now…
Gerard had already died no less than three times at the hands of that black-haired youth.
This allowed Gerard to gain terrifying strength he had never experienced himself, but even so, he was still helpless against the black-haired youth. The opponent effortlessly parried all of Gerard's attacks as if swatting flies.
However, in PePe's opinion, the opponent should also be somewhat helpless against Gerard's Miracle.
Because this person, when facing other Sternritter members, would end the battle instantly, just like when he killed Berenice Gabrielli, the one who had raised an objection to him.
Whether it was Shaz Domino, whose Schrift ability was 'Viability,' or NaNaNa Najahkoop, whose Schrift ability was 'Underbelly,' they all met the same fate before him.
Shaz Domino had his head blown off by a Kido blast.
Although Najahkoop, with his 'Underbelly' and 'Morphine Pattern,' caused the opponent's Reishi to leak from his Spirit Core and Binding Threads, paralyzing him for a moment.
But the next second, the black-haired youth immediately dispersed all his Spirit Core, then, with a fist devoid of any Spirit Core, threw a punch at Najahkoop from a hundred meters away.
At the instant the fist reached its peak, the void vibrated!
Before PePe could even perceive what had happened, Najahkoop… and all the buildings in his area, turned to dust in the blink of an eye.
And what was most terrifying was…
The opponent's Spirit Core, which had been completely dispersed the previous second, had fully recovered the moment Najahkoop was killed.
Aside from His Majesty, no one had ever made PePe feel such fear, even to the point of not daring to use his Schrift on the opponent.
—Crushing!
Since the opponent's arrival, these four words perfectly described him.
Until Gerard appeared.
Like the previous three, Gerard also died in one hit at the opponent's hands, but 'Miracle' made him stand up again and gain even more terrifying power. However… it was still useless. Before that terrifying youth, he was still instantly defeated!
He even died three consecutive times.
However, each time he died, Gerard would stand up again and gain even stronger power.
Although each attack was still easily parried by the opponent, Gerard did not die again. After Gerard's third resurrection, the terrifying youth switched from offense to defense, no longer trying to kill him, but effortlessly parrying Gerard's every attack.
Clearly, he was also helpless against Gerard's Miracle!
There was hope.
The scene before him lessened PePe's fear of that terrifying youth by a few points.
Bang~
Just then, a booming sound, like a gun firing, rang out.
Almost simultaneously with the sound, a huge, transparent penetrating wound suddenly appeared on the chest of the impassive youth who had been parrying Gerard's countless attacks.
PePe turned to look towards the source of the sound, only to see a man with short white hair, dark skin, and a black crosshair mark over his left eye, holding a sniper rifle and aiming at the opponent.
Lille Barro!
The strongest one remaining in the Wandenreich, the captain of His Majesty's Royal Guard, the Quincy to whom His Majesty first granted a Schrift, and His Majesty's greatest masterpiece, the man closest to God.
Gerard, who was suppressing that terrifying youth on the field, was also a member of the Royal Guard, but he still could not shake Lille Barro's position. The horror of his strength was evident!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three more booming sounds rang out consecutively.
The terrifying youth's face, throat, and waist all suffered penetrating wounds identical to the one on his chest.
Did it succeed?
PePe swallowed at the sight, but the next scene that unfolded made his pupils contract, his eyes revealing disbelief.
Because…
The black-haired youth, whose chest, head, throat, and waist all had fist-sized holes, still raised his hand and effortlessly parried all of Gerard's attacks with the back of his hand, as if the penetrating wounds on his body simply… didn't… exist… at… all…
They really didn't exist!??
"How is that possible!?"
Looking at the perfectly unharmed black-haired youth, PePe's eyes bulged. What kind of regeneration was this? Did he also possess a 'Miracle' like Gerard?
Lille Barro, in the distance, frowned slightly. His ability was 'The X-Axis,' meaning that anything touched by the advancing trajectory between the muzzle and the target would be pierced through, and this process could not be nullified or defended against in any way.
Although Lille Barro, due to his arrogant and narcissistic personality, would intentionally conceal his strength due to underestimation, leading to limitations in the exertion of his power.
However, he had given extreme importance to that black-haired youth.
He even fired four consecutive shots, choosing to attack his Spirit Core, Binding Threads, Soul Sleep… and other vital points of his spiritual body. Yet, the opponent evaded all vital points with such minuscule evasions that they were imperceptible without close attention.
Normally, even if he avoided the vital points of the spiritual body, he should have died instantly from such injuries.
But this person recovered in an instant, without even a single drop of blood flowing out, which made him, like PePe, unable to help but wonder: what kind of creature is this…?
However, judging from his evasion of vital point attacks, he was not absolutely immortal.
Which means…
A glint flashed in Lille Barro's eyes as he once again aimed his sniper rifle at the black-haired youth, who seemed to have no emotions.
As long as his attack was faster than his evasion speed, he would definitely be able to wound his vital points!!
And just then, the youth's hand, which had been used to block Gerard's attacks, suddenly, mid-swing, used his thumb to slice across the pad of his index finger. As a hint of crimson seeped out, the swing from the back of his hand transformed into a blood-stained index finger pointing at Gerard's fist.
The index finger collided with the meteor-like fist.
There was no astonishing impact, no terrifying energy ripples; everything seemed so silent.
However…
Pffft.
A sound like air leaking out was heard, and Gerard's hundreds-of-meters-tall giant body suddenly blurred, abruptly disappearing from its original spot.
No!
Lille Barro, who had been closely watching the opponent, his pupils contracted. It wasn't a disappearance, but rather…
He had returned to his original form.
Looking around, one could see a robust figure kneeling beneath the black-haired youth's index finger, now facing the black-haired youth, who was looking down at him, with a dazed expression.
"…Ho… how… is this possible??"
Gerard looked at those purple eyes, and an endless fear rose in his heart.
Miracle… his own miracle…
What exactly did he do?
However, the black-haired youth, seemingly having abandoned all emotions and thoughts, made no response. His index finger, which had been pressed against Gerard's fist, retracted and then flicked!
Bang!
With a muffled thud, Gerard's sturdy body was sent flying backward.
But he wasn't directly pulverized like Nianzol Weizol; he merely spat out blood and crashed into a building, buried within it.
He wasn't dead.
Lille Barro immediately detected Gerard's state, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
From this, it seemed Gerard's miracle might not have vanished as he had initially thought. Instead, the youth had temporarily sealed it in some unknown way. The reason he hadn't killed him was likely because killing Gerard might break this sealed state!
And in fact, that was the case.
Although under the Zanpakuto's control, which left Ishikawa devoid of any superfluous emotions, Gerard's ability was still troublesome for him.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't the ability that was troublesome, but the root cause of the miracle occurring on Gerard!
Analyzing Gerard wasn't difficult; the difficulty lay in analyzing that root cause.
It was something that didn't belong to this world, or rather, it was a part of what constituted this world. Even Kokumei's omni-analysis couldn't fully analyze its existence, nor could it find a way to erase it through analysis.
Because that was…
The Soul King's Heart!!
Unless he integrated power of the same quality, it would be impossible for the current Ishikawa to eliminate or devour its existence!
Ultimately, Ishikawa could only settle for the next best thing: using the data analyzed by Kokumei as a basis, combined with his own blood, to temporarily seal the miracle brought by the 'Soul King's Heart'.
This sealing method was extended and created by Ishikawa based on Urahara Kisuke's use of his own blood to seal the Hōgyoku.
In those few minutes just now.
After doing all this, Ishikawa once again focused his control, shifting it back to analyzing the space where the Wandenreich was located. He had already wasted a lot of time because of Gerard.
But at this instant, Ishikawa's eyes, completely filled with purple light, suddenly shook.
His emotionless state instantly became somewhat unstable, because a strange tremor emanated from within his Reiatsu Crest. That was… a certain aura that had established the earliest and deepest connection with Ishikawa.
The moment he felt this fluctuation, Ishikawa's state of abandoning autonomy and allowing the Zanpakuto to control him became extremely unstable.
However, the next second, the purple Spirit Core around Ishikawa surged explosively, stabilizing his current state.
A crimson stain seeped from the corner of his mouth. The moment Ishikawa stabilized, his entire body was immediately enveloped by deep purple Spirit Core. The soaring pillar of Spirit Core integrated into every part of the Wandenreich.
At this moment, Ishikawa integrated his entire being into his Zanpakuto.
Accelerating the process of analysis and disintegration at all costs!
Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz…
The entire Wandenreich began to tremble wildly at this moment, even making everyone in this world somewhat unsteady on their feet. The light in the dark space grew increasingly intense, and even in the depths of that darkness, there faintly appeared…
The phantom of the Seireitei!
The two worlds seemed to overlap at this moment.
And just then, a black hexagram suddenly appeared not far in front of Ishikawa, and a figure descended from it. This figure was a blonde, blue-eyed youth with delicate features.
The moment the youth appeared, he seemed to already know the situation. He directly clapped his hands downwards, submerging them into the dark road.
The gradually solidifying phantom of the Seireitei became ethereal once again at this moment.
But the blonde youth didn't see that as he returned, the black hexagram that should have disappeared didn't. Instead, it began to rapidly expand.
This scene was only noticed by the blonde youth a few seconds later, causing his expression to change dramatically!
Shadow Hexagram is a method that doesn't require processing ordinary shadows. It directly converts Reishi into a liquid-like black shadow. When sprinkled on the ground, it automatically leaps into the air, becoming a black hexagram connecting to another space. It can be said to be an extended application of constructing Reishi space.
And at this moment…
This ability, which only a few people in the Wandenreich could use, had broken free from his control, using the 'Shadow Space Transfer' rule it contained to… make the Wandenreich manifest!
Noticing this, a gloomy look flashed in the blonde youth's eyes.
He didn't know if the other party had been prepared, or if they had thought of using him in an instant after his appearance.
But no matter which one…
It was enough to demonstrate the opponent's terrifying nature. No wonder the situation had escalated to such a degree, even with three Royal Guards remaining.
Before he returned, he had roughly grasped the situation. The only thing he was somewhat puzzled about was…
Why Penida Pakaj wasn't present.
But now he couldn't afford to think about these things. Instead, the moment the Shadow Hexagram was about to escape his control, he transmitted a piece of information.
…
Hueco Mundo!
Yhwach looked at Cirucci and Starrk as they descended from the sky, a gloomy glint in his eyes.
Immediately…
He pressed his hand downwards, and an invisible ripple instantly spread out from his palm, reaching out to grab the two of them.
And just then!
Azure light burst forth, and Starrk's form, as he descended, suddenly changed.
After his second Cero, Starrk's appearance didn't change much, but his originally dark brown, slightly curly short hair had turned into long blue hair, and there were two Hollow holes in the center of his chest and abdomen, vertically aligned on his body.
His original hunter's attire had transformed into a black feathered jacket with a cape, and he held two long, black-barreled guns!
Previously, it was in this form that he and Cirucci had fought Yhwach together.
But at this moment…
A bizarre and unparalleled change occurred in him.
The two guns in his hands transformed into azure flames, enveloping his entire body. Everything below his waist was covered in azure flames, and a wolf tail made of flames condensed behind him. His head was no exception, forming a wolf-like appearance.
All these changes were completed almost in an instant.
Starrk's descent gradually slowed, finally stopping in mid-air, looking up at Yhwach in the sky.
—
Faintly, an inaudible howl seemed to emanate. Azure flames spread out, colliding with the invisible ripple.
There were no azure wolves split from his soul, nor were there Ceros.
But at this moment…
Starrk himself had transformed into an azure wolf, into a lonely wolf king!
Although their forms were completely different from the one Harribel displayed, they shared a commonality: their current forms no longer pursued a more humanoid Arrancar appearance but instead displayed more characteristics of their Hollow essence!
Yhwach looked at Starrk, whose appearance had greatly changed, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. Strange fluctuations faintly emanated from his eyes, as if something was about to awaken in the depths of his being.
But in the end…
He still slightly closed his eyes.
Buzz~
Almost the instant he closed his eyes, dark shadow flames rose from various parts of the battlefield, enveloping all the Sternritter members.
No words were spoken. As the shadow flames burned out…
Yhwach and all the Sternritter vanished from their original positions.
But the moment they disappeared…
An astonishing killing intent instantly enveloped the entire Hueco Mundo, lingering for a long time!
Looking in the direction where Yhwach had disappeared, Starrk, who had transformed into an azure wolf, saw the azure flames around him explode. Amidst the scattered sparks, he split into two figures, descending downwards enveloped in azure starlight.
But before they could land, they were supported by the azure seawater. Also supported was Cirucci, who had already lost consciousness.
It's over?
The sudden disappearance of the enemy certainly brought a sigh of relief to everyone, but at the same time, a wave of confusion arose in everyone's hearts.
They simply couldn't understand why those inexplicably attacking people would suddenly and inexplicably leave when they held an absolute advantage.
What exactly happened?