Chapter 81

I arrived where Zaraki stood with bodies draped over his shoulder, facing off against two people. One of them looked oddly familiar. I landed next to Zaraki, who didn't even glance at me, his eyes locked on the two men in front of us.

The first was a tall, 6'2 man with long blond hair and a neutral expression. But the second... I blinked in confusion. 'That looks like Zangetsu but different, taller looking, with a fuller face and a thicker and longer mustache.' The 6'7 Zangetsu lookalike met my gaze, one eyebrow raised. "You must be Ryou Sasaki."

I frowned, resting Muramasa on my shoulder. "Yeah, and who are you? You'd have to be pretty gutsy to pull this off." I gestured to the destruction and chaos around us.

"I'm Yhwach."

'Don't recognize the name.' I thought, frowning deeper. Zaraki yawned, grinning widely before flinging the bodies from his shoulder toward them. "Enough talk. Let's fight!"

Zaraki blitzed toward Yhwach, aiming a powerful strike meant to cleave him in two. But Yhwach only raised his arm to block it, creating a shockwave that tore through the surroundings. Yet he didn't seem strained, holding Zaraki at bay with ease.

'The hell…?'

A flash of danger on my side had me moving Muramasa to block an attack from the blond man. "Wandenreich Emperor's aide and Sternritter Grand Master, Jugram Haschwalth." he announced as he pressed forward.

'What a mouthful.' I smirked, pushing him back. "Ryou Sasaki, Future Strongest Human."

We clashed again, my speed slightly slower than his even with half of my cursed magic enhancing my body. Haschwalth's gaze held mine as he struck. "Tell me, have you killed anyone with red hair?"

I smirked, sidestepping his blow and going for a vertical slash, which he blocked. "What, was he your boyfriend?" I taunted, feeling a strange satisfaction as his neutral expression faltered, replaced by a brief frown.

But before I could press my advantage, Haschwalth backed off, and an explosion drew my attention to Zaraki and Yhwach. My eyes widened at the sight of Zaraki in Yhwach's grip, his hand wrapped around Zaraki's neck, not even winded.

A sudden prickling sense of danger flared behind me, but before I could react, another Yhwach appeared, plunging his hand straight into my chest. Pain exploded through me as he grabbed Muramasa and snapped it in half. "You won't be needing that anymore." He tossed me across the Seireitei.

After crashing through several buildings, I finally stopped, clutching the open wound. 'Barely missed the heart' I thought, groaning as I rose to my feet. A massive heatwave of reiatsu washed over me. 'Yamamoto must be making his move.' I bit down a curse and channeled cursed magic into flames to cauterize the wound, wincing as it burned shut. 'This is going to hurt for a while.'

Summoning what strength I had, I used Shundō to rush toward the fight, hiding my presence as best I could. By the time I arrived, I saw Yamamoto's katana glowing like molten lava. He whispered words that seemed to resonate through my very soul.

"Bankai: Zanka no Tachi."

Yamamoto lunged toward Yhwach, who drew his sword in response, narrowly dodging the attack. Yamamoto lifted his blade over his head, and I felt death itself looming over me as I barely managed to dodge out of its path. The strike obliterated everything in its way. 'Holy…'

Watching from a safe distance, I saw Yamamoto press the attack, forcing Yhwach back. They landed on a rooftop, and Yamamoto shifted his sword sideways, announcing, "Zanka no Tachi, East: Kyokujitsujin! Everything that touches this blade is blown away, without a trace!"

Yhwach smirked and dodged, but the aftermath was devastating, the entire area was reduced to nothingness, and even Yhwach's sword was obliterated.

They landed on the ground again, facing each other a few feet away.

Yamamoto's words came again, though faint through the roaring flames around him. "Where there is an East, there is also a West." His body and blade seemed to intensify, encircled by flames as he continued. "Zanjitsu Gokui!" The flames around him blazed even hotter, each step he took leaving molten lava in its wake. 'Feels like I'm going to die of water loss.'

Yhwach created a blue arrow, launching it toward Yamamoto, who deflected it effortlessly. "Very well then." Yamamoto said, his voice like thunder. "Shall we dance?"

Yhwach conjured a blue energy barrier, and Yamamoto stabbed his sword into the ground. Death itself seemed to hover in the air as Yamamoto spoke.

"Zanka no Tachi, South: Kaka Jūman'okushi Daisōjin!"

The scene transformed as hundreds of red skeletons rose from the ground, closing in on Yhwach, who looked briefly shocked. He sneered, leaping over the skeletal swarm toward Yamamoto. "You really think a trick like this can stop me?!"

A wall of skeletons rose to intercept him, climbing onto him until he was entirely entangled. Yamamoto turned, walking away as he spoke in a low voice I couldn't hear. Yhwach's furious yell erupted as he broke free, stepping toward Yamamoto.

"Cheap tricks won't work on me!" he taunted. But Yamamoto calmly replied. "To steal a Bankai, you need to fully understand it. You, however will never comprehend what's beyond your understanding."

'Steal a Bankai?' The thought barely crossed my mind when Yamamoto prepared another attack, one so intense it left my ears ringing.

In a burst of flames, Yhwach was bisected across his torso, collapsing onto the ground. Yamamoto retracted his Bankai, turning to leave as a downpour of rain began. I watched as Yhwach's mouth moved, dread settling in my chest. 'Shit, how could I forget!'

Using Shundo, I appeared beside Yamamoto, who noticed the new scar on my chest. Before he said anything, the fake Yhwach's small voice echoed. "Forgive me...Your Majesty."

A blue pillar of light erupted as the real Yhwach appeared behind us. 'Shit.'

Ignoring Yamamoto's questions, Yhwach approached the fake Yhwach, who revealed himself as a bald man with three eyes. "Sternritter Y, you did well." Before he could respond, Yhwach pointed his index finger at him, obliterating him.

I felt a bead of sweat form. 'He's strong. I may have to pull out all the stops, even with Yamamoto's help.'

Yhwach turned to Yamamoto, who demanded. "Where have you been hiding all this time, Yhwach?"

"To see Sosuke Aizen." Yhwach replied calmly.

Shock flashed across Yamamoto's face, but he steeled himself, about to call out for his Bankai. "Stop, Captain Yamamoto! He might be able to steal it now!"

At that moment, Yhwach raised a medallion, which created above us a black cross with a blue circle beneath it. From this symbol, nine beams of energy shot toward Yamamoto. 'This is gonna hurt like a bitch.' I shoved Yamamoto out of the way, taking the beams myself as they pinned me in place. Yamamoto didn't waste a second, charging directly at Yhwach.

In response, Yhwach raised his sword, conjuring a massive blue bow in the air, notching an arrow pointed downward.

The arrow shot forth, obliterating everything in its path. Shielding myself, I struggled to break free from the beams.

When the debris settled, I saw Yhwach approaching the arrow, now embedded in the ground, looking more like a massive blade of blue energy. 'Now's not the time to wonder what the hell that thing's made of, Ryou!'