Blood rained down from above, staining the once pristine, brilliant skies of the Soul King Palace in a crimson hue.
Seiya gazed calmly at the fallen Four Divine Generals, his expression void of joy or sorrow.
Not long ago...
Both sides had still been exchanging words in relative peace—yet now, blades had decided fate.
A moment ripe for reflection.
And yet—
Seiya raised his right hand and lightly touched his face.
Still no change in expression… why?
Was it because he'd become cold and indifferent?
Or was that just his true nature?
He didn't know.
But with things having reached this point, Seiya had no time to indulge in sentiment.
The Four Divine Generals had all fallen. All that remained was Ichibē Hyōsube. Take him down—and this battle would finally conclude.
—Is that what you really think?
Without warning, Seiya's eyes widened.
A slimy, low voice slithered up from deep within, like a skeletal hand from his stomach gripping his heart with cold certainty.
That voice—was Ichibē's.
Looking up, the monk—who had been facing Aizen moments ago—had turned his head.
His lips curled wide into an eerie smile, teeth sharp and dense.
It might've resembled a "grin"—but Seiya saw not a trace of warmth there.
In fact, if anything…
It was like a carnivorous beast baring its fangs before the kill.
With a flick, Ichibē cast an incantationless Inner Kido, forcing Aizen on the defensive.
Using that opening, he turned his full attention to Seiya, still grinning.
"Seiya Arima, your power is indeed commendable."
"But the strength of the Royal Guard isn't so easily surpassed. If you think to cross us and threaten the Soul King…"
"You still have much hardship to endure."
First question:
"What do you think our duty is?"
To guard the Soul King.
Second question:
"What do you think gives us confidence?"
Immortality.
"Rise again, Royal Guard! If we fall here—what becomes of our name? Our duty? Our convictions?!"
Ichibē's voice boomed as he spread his arms wide, as if embracing the sky.
"Eastern Divine General—First Officer of the Royal Guard!"
His name: Hot Springs Demon, Kirinji Tenjirō.
A crimson stream surged up from the palace baths like a shooting star into the sky.
Seiya furrowed his brow as he watched a skeletal hand rise from the spring. Flesh wrapped around it, forming a new body.
And from that bloodstained spring, Kirinji emerged once more—reborn.
Even the spring waters churned, transforming into the robes that now draped his frame.
Seeing this, Seiya's expression tensed.
He sighed.
As expected.
He had anticipated it before the fight began, but witnessing it firsthand was still jarring.
The Royal Guard had been infused with the Ōken, their bodies deeply modified.
Not just to withstand the Soul King Palace's unique environment—but to grant them a terrifying ability.
Immortality.
As long as the Soul King lives, the Royal Guard—his shield—cannot truly die.
Great. Just great...
Is this the new boss mechanic in the next patch or something?
Despite the sarcasm, Seiya's mood didn't shift much.
He had expected this. After all, taking down Yamamoto had nearly cost him his life.
How could a visit to the Soul King Palace be any safer?
The road ahead only climbed higher.
Kirinji grinned as if nothing had happened.
Seiya took a calming breath, resetting his composure.
No matter. Just cut him down again.
But what truly caught Seiya's attention—
Was that it wasn't Kirinji who stepped forward.
It was Senjumaru Shutara.
Ichibē didn't seem surprised, though he did murmur:
"It's you, then."
"Yes. My desire is quite strong."
Elegant and teasing, Senjumaru tilted her head, eyes narrowing.
Was that… killing intent?
No—it was something colder. A refined contempt.
"To be taken down so easily in our first exchange—even the most composed person would be burning inside."
"That's why I'd like to show you my true power, young man. Of course, the others agreed."
"After all… my Bankai is quite the production."
Restored by Kirinji's hot spring, Senjumaru now stood poised.
Her fake arms pressed lightly to her chest, her gaze sharp.
The pain of her earlier defeat still vivid.
"You showed no mercy even to your seniors, Seiya. Your heart is truly cold and unyielding."
Seiya could only chuckle in response.
"Because you're a senior worth fighting with full strength."
"Smooth-talking brat."
"I'll take that as praise."
Light banter, but Seiya was tense.
The Royal Guard weren't allowed to release their Bankai unless certain conditions were met.
Now only Senjumaru remained, with Ichibē at her back and the Soul King looming above.
All the conditions were met.
It was time to face this monster head-on.
And of course—
Hell hath no fury…
Just one piercing blow, and she'd clawed her way back from the underworld to make him pay.
So petty.
"You're thinking I'm petty, aren't you?" Senjumaru raised her chin.
She'd clearly read his thoughts, teasing like a cat with a cornered mouse.
"But you're right—I'm not very generous."
"As penance for wounding me… I'll show you."
"The end of a traitor."
Clap!
Six false hands snapped together, forming an intricate, almost sacred sign.
"Bankai."
Her voice lost all playfulness.
Only cold arrogance remained.
"Sātaka Corpse-Stitching Weave."
Almost simultaneously—
Far below, in the World of the Living, the Gotei 13 reacted as one.
The ground trembled violently. Earthquakes cracked the terrain. Shinigami stumbled, caught off guard.
"What the hell?!"
"I don't know!!"
"Stay calm! Protect yourselves!"
"Th-the ground's splitting open!!!"
Exhausted from battle with the remaining Arrancar, panic surged among the ranks.
And then—reinforcements.
"Dangerous out here, huh~?"
A yellow-haired man smiled, pulling a few Shinigami to safety.
Hirako Shinji.
"Are you alright?"
"I-I'm fine…"
They were wary—he was still technically an enemy.
But another voice broke that tension completely.
"Captain Hirako, thank you for your help!"
Turning—he saw a small-framed girl in standard uniform.
Fierce eyes. Strong posture. Bandaged arm bearing a familiar badge.
"You are…"
"Vice-Captain of Squad 5—Hinamori Momo!"
She bowed deeply.
"Thanks to you, many of our squadmates were saved!"
Shinji rubbed the back of his head, chuckling.
"No need to thank me… just did what anyone would…"
"Still—I'm a vice-captain. It's my duty to thank you."
"…This kid…"
She was so sincere it stung.
Like someone he used to know.
"You… Squad 5's vice-captain, huh…"
"Yes, sir!"
"Pretty words. Hope your sword's just as sharp."
Despite never having met before—there was something familiar between them.
But the moment passed.
The quakes continued.
Hinamori wiped sweat from her brow.
"What is going on up there…"
"Who knows," Shinji muttered.
But deep inside—he felt it.
A spiritual pressure powerful enough to shake the world.
He'd never seen it firsthand.
But the legends…
Seiya Arima—was now standing against one of those legends.
Even back in Hueco Mundo, the likes of Gin and Tōsen paused, looking skyward.
So vast… so absurd…
Was this really something even Shinigami could withstand?
"Stay calm, Gin."
Tōsen, uncharacteristically, offered reassurance.
"Believe in Aizen-sama. And Arima."
"With them together…"
A pause.
"They're invincible."
Back in the Soul King Palace—
A power vast enough to shake all three realms had finally begun to reveal itself.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Three thundering pulses.
Dark curtains fell from the sky.
The brilliant light above was snuffed out—replaced by abyssal black, as if the world itself had ended.
Everything faded. Only one light remained.
Senjumaru Shutara.
Beside her—two towering pillars of radiant color stretched toward the heavens.
They shimmered with all the hues of a rainbow, forged from something beyond comprehension.
Backlit by this divine light, she stood tall—like a goddess of judgment.
Her expression bore no emotion.
Only the absolute calm of one who commands life and death.
From her radiated a superior presence—domineering, divine.
"Well, what do you think of my Bankai?"
Casual words, but steeped in overwhelming authority.
"Magnificent, isn't it?"
"Of course it is—I stitched every inch of this with my own hands."
"In my Bankai—light, flesh, thought…"
"All of it is mine to weave."
"Even your fate—will be something I shall tailor."
Senjumaru turned slightly.
Her gaze pierced through Seiya.
Playfulness returned to her voice.
"Shall we begin?"
Traitor.
Enemy of the Gotei 13.
Offender before the Soul King.
Seiya Arima—
Your final chapter begins now.
Senjumaru vanished between the twin pillars.
And then—
A sea of silken cloth erupted.
It descended from the heavens, engulfing Seiya.
He could not dodge.
Could not cut it.
All he could do—
Was watch.
As the fabric gently draped over his body.
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Powerstones?
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