"Hado No. 90: Kurohitsugi."
Light burst forth, and the roar of impact, the wildly colliding energies illuminated the entire Wandenreich.
Unbeknownst to them, the central area of the Wandenreich, apart from Ishikawa and Yhwach who were currently battling, was already empty.
All Sternritter members and the Quincy army had retreated to the edge of the Wandenreich, which was comparable in size to the Seireitei, gazing at the unimaginable battle at the world's center.
Flames, lightning, and slashes traversed the sky...
Azure flames, blue light, and spirit arrows tore through the void...
Huge fissures were ripped open in the sky above the Wandenreich, and a powerful suction drew the debris of collapsed buildings into them.
Below the fissures, bolts of lightning, each tens of meters thick, like electric serpents, furiously covered the two individuals within.
A thunderous roar shook the heavens, and a colossal sound echoed throughout the Wandenreich!
But...
No matter how violent the lightning brought by the spatial tearing was, once it descended, before it could even land on the two individuals, it would be transformed into Reishi and devoured by them, then integrated into their own attacks.
Gulp--!
The sound of swallowing saliva occasionally emerged, all concealed beneath the roar.
The intensity of the current battle had far exceeded the understanding of most people.
But what made them even more incredulous was...
Among the Shinigami, there was actually someone who could fight to such an extent with His Majesty.
No.
Was that...
Really a Shinigami?
Although, whether from his Reiatsu or his Zanpakuto, the young man was undoubtedly a Shinigami.
However...
His defensive power was even stronger than the Arrancar's Hierro they had encountered;
His recovery ability could almost be called a 'miracle';
And that indescribable monstrous strength;
Leaving aside his Shinigami abilities, the various special qualities he displayed were simply countless!
Moreover, his Reiatsu seemed inexhaustible; from the beginning of the battle until now, the Reiatsu he exhibited had not weakened in the slightest.
Looking from afar, the sky above the center of the Wandenreich seemed to be divided into two, forming two distinct areas.
Their Majesty, at this moment, was completely enveloped by concentrated azure Reishi flames, and every movement revealed an intensely scorching aura.
In front of the assembled Quincy army, the Sternritter members watched the battle intently.
After escaping from the domain, they had wanted to join the fight.
But they were stopped by Jugram Haschwalth, because the Reishi of the entire area, as well as their own power, were currently under His Majesty's control, so even if they participated, it would be difficult to exert any strength.
Furthermore, rashly participating in His Majesty's battle would only lead to meaningless sacrifice.
Boom--!
Amidst the deafening roar, smoke billowed into the air.
Ishikawa's figure shot backward, his body half-soaked in blood, but Ishikawa did not care about his own injuries; almost as he retreated, Kokumei in his hand immediately dispersed into Reishi.
Then...
He clasped his hands in front of his chest and chanted rapidly:
"Bakudo No. 81: Danku!"
The azure arrow collided with the transparent barrier, and time seemed to freeze in that instant.
Crack, crack, crack~
However, in the blink of an eye, cracking sounds emanated from the transparent barrier.
Ishikawa, still in a state of retreat, his purple eyes flashed, and he waved his hands repeatedly while moving backward:
"Bakudō No. 75: Gochūtekkan."
"Bakudo #79: Kuyō Shibari."
"Bakudo No. 61: Rikujokoro."
"Bakudō No. 62: Hyapporankan."
"..."
One Bakudo after another shot through the air, attacking Yhwach within the smoke.
"Have you been driven mad by despair?"
Yhwach's calm voice came out: "Knowing that your Kido cannot possibly land on me, you still make such useless struggles."
An unknown ripple spread, and all the Kido released by Ishikawa vanished in that instant, as if they had never existed, not even leaving behind the Reishi that formed the Kido.
Upon seeing this, a purple light flashed in Ishikawa's eyes.
Zzzzt---
Accompanied by a harsh friction sound, Ishikawa stopped his figure after drawing two trails of smoke in the void, raised his right index finger, and pointed it at Yhwach's location.
"Hollow Mark: Reishi Severance!"
Hmm?
Yhwach, within the smoke, seemed to see something, his eyebrow raised, revealing a somewhat surprised expression.
Almost simultaneously, at the locations where the vanished Bakudo had been, purple Reishi suddenly appeared. These Reishi did not gather to attack, but instead connected into lines in the dark void, forming strange purple Spell Inscription.
More accurately speaking...
Those should be Hollow Marks, created by Ishikawa, Hollow Marks that were different from Shinigami Spell Inscription.
"So that's it, is it a Zanpakuto?"
Yhwach smiled. His 'alteration' was to directly erase Kido, which was why not even Reishi could be left behind.
However, the Reishi that formed these Hollow Marks was somewhat special.
Because...
This Reishi was composed of Ishikawa's Kokumei. The moment he transformed Kokumei into Reishi, he used Reiatsu Crest to absorb the Reishi formed by Kokumei into his body, then mixed it with the Kido and released it together.
Buzz—
The Hollow Marks formed instantly, covering Yhwach within like a myriad of stars.
The Reishi in his surrounding area instantly vanished, causing the azure flames around Yhwach to dim.
In response, Yhwach let out a disdainful laugh and softly called out:
"Self-Bestowal: Reishi."
A short sentence, yet it seemed to contain some kind of rule, causing his surrounding area to appear as if a well of spiritual power had emerged, from which countless Reishi gushed forth.
As Yhwach waved the Quincy Cross Blade in his hand, a giant Reishi bow instantly materialized.
Seeing this, Ishikawa was not surprised, but instead took a deep breath.
"Reiatsu Crest: Reishi Conversion."
"Oh?"
Yhwach looked up, only to see that the giant Reishi bow that was forming was suddenly dyed a layer of black, revealing a Reiatsu fluctuation different from both Shinigami and Quincy—that was...
Hollow Reiatsu!
Ishikawa rarely used Hollow Marks in battle, but he used to frequently transform entire Hollows into Hollow Marks to conceal his Shinigami aura. Now, through the Reiatsu Crest, which was born from the fusion of Hollow Marks and Development Spiritual Marks, he was able to convert two different types of Reiatsu out of thin air.
Ishikawa had never tried this kind of conversion before; it was entirely created during this battle.
However, to achieve this, he needed Kokumei, which could freely transform into Reishi and encompass all energies, to provide support.
"Hollow energy, for a Quincy, is indeed an energy that can be called a 'poison'."
Yhwach paused:
"But unfortunately, that is for ordinary Quincy!"
Whoosh—
The half-blue, half-black arrow shot out the instant Yhwach's words fell.
It's not working?
This sight made Ishikawa frown.
The battle had continued until now, and he could be said to have used every trick in his arsenal, but besides high-intensity direct attacks, nothing had been able to affect Yhwach in the slightest.
"Hado #78: Zangerin."
Thoughts whirled in his mind, and Ishikawa immediately condensed a Kido Blade in his hand, slashing at the incoming black and white arrow.
However—
At the moment this slash reached its peak, Ishikawa's hand suddenly felt empty.
Rumble~
Amidst the billowing smoke, Ishikawa was sent flying like a cannonball, his bare upper body scorched black by the high-concentration Reishi flames.
Careless!
Ishikawa had not expected that even the Kido Blade condensed in his hand would be erased by Yhwach.
Moreover, the timing chosen was extremely subtle, leaving him no time to react at all, forcing him to endure the incoming attack head-on in that instant.
However, this also allowed Ishikawa to confirm one thing!
Yhwach could not break his Zanpakuto. Although Kokumei was currently in a Reishi state, it was still essentially a Zanpakuto. If Yhwach could break his blade, he could completely nullify the effects brought by the Kokumei that formed the Hollow Marks.
But from beginning to end, Yhwach chose to ignore the Hollow Marks condensed by Kokumei.
However, even with this method, it was still difficult to cause him harm.
High-intensity close-range direct attacks, while effective, given the difference between them, fighting him up close would only result in more severe injuries for himself.
Moreover, though He could not change it, Yhwach could still see that Ishikawa would often choose to receive His attacks with the smallest cost at the last moment, while simultaneously striking Him with his strongest abilities.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Ishikawa pressed his right hand and both feet against the void, stopping himself in mid-air.
Troublesome—!
From the start of the battle until now, Ishikawa's brain had been operating at high speed, but he still hadn't thought of an effective technique against Yhwach.
His physical body, however, could no longer bear it; even his self-healing ability had become incredibly slow due to the overload.
Blood dripped down from Ishikawa's bare feet.
The crystal formed by the fusion of Kurohitsugi into Shunko at his brow had disappeared, as he had completely released Kurohitsugi from his body earlier; his body was already nearing its limit, and continuing to integrate Kido would only make him lose faster.
Even the wings on his back, formed by two different types of Kido, had become incredibly dim at this moment.
In his right hand, Kokumei, which had transformed into Reishi, gradually condensed.
The next second, a Gray Fog spread out, and a concealing domain completely enveloped the area where Ishikawa was located.
"Have you reached your limit?"
Yhwach stood high in the sky, looking down at Ishikawa, who was hidden within the Gray Fog, a strange smile on his face.
But in his heart, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
"Your performance has been outstanding enough. Before I 'opened my eyes,' I never thought you could last this long against me."
After all…
At this moment, Ishikawa could be said to be fighting the entire Wandenreich single-handedly.
However, this brat, who was less than fifty years old, had persevered.
All sorts of moves, a myriad of techniques.
Even during the battle, to counter Him, he had temporarily created many abilities specifically targeting Quincy.
As he thought of this, a murderous glint flashed in Yhwach's eyes, and he disappeared from his original spot.
When he reappeared, he was already within the range of the Gray Fog, heading directly towards Ishikawa, who was hidden at the center of the mist.
Ishikawa watched Yhwach approach. The wings on his back completely disintegrated into Reishi, and the high-concentration Reiatsu flames on his body also receded. The turbulent spiritual power fluctuations within him gradually returned to calm.
As the various energies on his body dissipated, the various sword wounds, arrow wounds, and cracks from the physical overload, which had originally been hidden, all began to ooze blood, making the surrounding Gray Fog subtly turn crimson.
At the same time, Yhwach passed through the Gray Fog and appeared before Ishikawa.
"After you die, I will, as you said, take care of Hueco Mundo for you."
Yhwach was not in a hurry to deliver the final blow to Ishikawa. Instead, he spoke slowly, as if conversing with a friend: "Be honored that the Espada you created will be used by me."
"Heh heh—"
Ishikawa, covered in blood, chuckled at the remark: "To be honest, I quite like your arrogance."
"Oh?"
"You don't think I've already given up, do you?"
Ishikawa looked at Yhwach and said softly, "I'm different from you. All along my path, I've never encountered a smooth battle. In fact, in many battles with others, I was the loser, barely surviving."
With every word he spoke, blood flowed from Ishikawa's mouth.
"Even victories were mostly hard-won."
Yhwach did not speak or interrupt, but quietly watched Ishikawa.
Because he could tell that Ishikawa was now at the end of his rope; his Reiatsu was exhausted, and the injuries on his body would have caused immediate death in anyone else.
In other words…
At this moment, no matter how unwilling he was to admit defeat, he could no longer pose any threat to Him.
"But…"
Ishikawa raised his head, a grin spreading across his lips, revealing teeth stained red with blood.
This made Yhwach, who had been observing him, frown slightly, a sudden ominous premonition inexplicably welling up in his heart.
"No matter how strong the opponent I faced, I ultimately survived, and from then on, whether it was those who defeated me or those I barely defeated, none of them could pique my interest in the slightest anymore."
Yhwach did not speak, but directly brought down the Quincy Cross Blade in his hand towards Ishikawa.
Although he didn't know what the premonition in his heart was about, Yhwach had no intention of letting Ishikawa continue speaking.
"It's already too late. The moment you came before me and didn't directly kill me, but started listening to my nonsense, it was already too late."
Buzz~
As Ishikawa spoke, the blade Yhwach had swung stopped, hovering at Ishikawa's neck. Just a little further down, it could have severed Ishikawa's head.
However…
Cannot move!?
Yhwach's pupils contracted. He looked at Ishikawa, who was smirking in front of him, a look of disbelief flashing in his eyes.
Because he actually didn't know what had happened!
Hmm?
Just then, a strong smell of blood assailed his nostrils.
Is it blood?
A look of realization flashed in Yhwach's eyes, but more than that, there was confusion.
The blood flowing from Ishikawa's body had merged into the surrounding Gray Fog, and he hadn't paid attention to it because, in his opinion, it was just a useless struggle.
Because before entering the Gray Fog, he could clearly feel Ishikawa's aura spreading through the Gray Fog as his blood merged with it, so he simply assumed Ishikawa wanted to hide his location.
But now he realized…
The blood that had merged into the Gray Fog had, at some unknown point, condensed around his body, forming streaks of sealing Spell Inscription made of blood.
It was these sealing Spell Inscription that restricted his movements.
If Urahara Kisuke were here, he would find that the patterns imprinted on Yhwach's body were almost identical in effect to when he used Ishikawa's fresh blood to seal the Hōgyoku, only presented in the form of Spell Inscription.
"I look forward to seeing you again in Soul Society next time."
Ishikawa looked at the incredulous Yhwach, his expression calm, but a huge sigh of relief escaped his heart, because he was also unsure if his blood could seal Yhwach like it sealed the Hōgyoku.
Now it seems…
He had won the gamble.
It was just a pity that this method could only be used once.
Moreover, the duration was extremely short.
Ishikawa could clearly see that the blood Spell Inscription condensed around Yhwach were rapidly dissipating.
However, it was enough!!
Boom~!
A sudden, extremely loud bang erupted from the void, and the dim purple eyes completely collapsed.
But the moment the purple eyes collapsed, shadow flames with a purple glow began to burn from Ishikawa's body.
From the moment he began analyzing the Schatten Bereich with Kokumei to integrating his Bankai into this space, what Ishikawa aimed for was to control the shadow flames at this instant, thereby using the Wandenreich's shadow flames to transport himself back to Soul Society.
This was the escape route he had been preparing for himself from the very beginning!
In a flash, the shadow flames completely enveloped Ishikawa.
But just then…
"Do you remember what I just said?"
Yhwach's voice suddenly entered Ishikawa's ears, causing him to slightly freeze, but he wasn't too worried, because with Him unable to move, Yhwach could no longer stop him from leaving.
"Although I don't know how you managed to evade my 'eyes' and restrict my movements in this way, I just said…"
"Before I 'opened my eyes,' I never thought you could last this long against me!"
When these words entered Ishikawa's ears, his pupils suddenly constricted.
Immediately after…
The shadow flames gradually receded, but what entered Ishikawa's sight was not the streets of Seireitei, but… Yhwach!
And the surroundings were still the Wandenreich.
"After I 'opened my eyes'…"
Meeting Ishikawa's gaze, Yhwach smiled slightly: "I had already seen your future of leaving, I was just curious how you would accomplish it."
"In other words…"
"From the moment I 'opened my eyes,' your future of leaving no longer existed!"