Chapter 358: Black Ant

The White Brush Zanpakuto is an evolved sword that existed long before the concept of Bankai was even conceived.

It has the ability to "engrave a new name" on anything whose name has been erased by its Shikai form. For example, if it engraves the name "Black Ant" on a target, that target becomes as fragile and powerless as an ant.

Suddenly, in H'el's mind, the blank spaces in his memory were filled in. All his past memories, the times when he sat on the throne and was hailed by others, were condensed into a single name: Black Ant!

His body instantly became as weak as an ant.

The sensation of this transformation sent a thrill through H'el. Countless intertwined strands of information and spiritual particles from the outside world intertwined within him, all becoming tangled threads in his perception.

His eyes seemed to morph into 3D lines, constantly calculating and memorizing this once-in-a-lifetime experience, etching it deep into his consciousness.

H'el never imagined that a being like this Monk, who could erase names and write new ones, could have such an impact on others. The spiritual particles of everything connected in memory were influenced subtly, like the spring wind affecting all living beings without them noticing.

In that moment, he saw and felt things beyond what he had ever encountered, learned, or researched in the world of the Soul Reapers!

It was simply exhilarating and astonishing to him.

"You've shown me your Bankai, so my name surely isn't Black Ant! You've truly surprised me!" H'el's eyes, which had momentarily turned into 3D lines and then into void-like holes, returned to normal in a very short time. He said this with a delighted expression.

In that brief moment, the altered information vanished. Now, it was certain: his name was Black Ant!

And his power was Black Ant!

For the Soul Reapers, the size of one's power determines victory.

"Die bearing the name Black Ant!"

Hyosube's eyes widened like bronze bells, his thick beard flared out, and his hands suddenly expanded to around a hundred meters. He clapped his enormous hands towards Black Ant, causing the sky to ripple like a thin membrane, unable to withstand the force of his colossal hands clapping together.

"Thousand-Mile Palm!"

The Monk shouted as his hands, like world-ending millstones, came down on H'el with a terrifying roar. The air exploded with massive shockwaves, deafening everyone around.

The Thousand-Mile Palm continued to rub together in the air like ordinary hands.

Seeing this, the captains watching couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts. Few captains could withstand the terrifying rubbing of those gigantic hands.

The sheer force of the clapping alone was enough to kill a captain.

This was Hyosube Ichibe!

He was simply too terrifying.

"Who told you that Black Ants are weak?" a voice echoed from within the rubbing Thousand-Mile Palm, belonging to H'el, now named Black Ant.

Everyone's hearts skipped a beat as they saw the slowly opening Thousand-Mile Palm. The palm's lines were torn apart, revealing H'el inside, unharmed and looking down with a smirk.

"Impossible! You've been hit by all of my techniques," Ichibe exclaimed, his wide, pale eyes filled with shock.

He was certain—he truly felt that H'el had been caught by his move.

But now... the Thousand-Mile Palm couldn't crush or even harm H'el. As Hyosube rubbed his palms together, it felt like rubbing against a grain of sand, an uncomfortable and surprising sensation.

The Thousand-Mile Palm slowly retracted from the sky as he withdrew it, revealing H'el, completely unscathed.

"When did you start placing yourself so high above that you assumed Black Ants are weak?" H'el smirked, the tip of his black Zanpakuto pointing to the ground.

"Everyone knows ants are weak!" Ichibe said with a serious expression, beginning to sense that something was wrong.

Yet, H'el had survived completely unscathed, making it increasingly difficult for him to continue. Despite the extensive preparations made at the start of the attack, time was needed for them to take effect.

Now, Hyosube Ichibe feared there wasn't enough time.

H'el shook his head with a smile and said, "Did you know? The ability you used to name me Black Ant is extremely harsh."

Seeing that H'el didn't seem to have any intention of attacking, Hyosube, unable to think of a way to defeat him completely, could only stand there with a stern expression, his beard and hair flaring as he glared at H'el.

"Your Bankai relies on three kinds of perception!

Your perception, my perception, and the perception of the world. When these three align, your Bankai is at its most powerful.

In your perception, Black Ants are weak, so you named me Black Ant.

The world cannot have any will, so the world's perception is: all living beings are equal, without distinction of strength or weakness, because in the end, you all will perish in this world. Therefore, Black Ants are neither weak nor strong; they are equal to all living things.

As for me, why would you think that I perceive Black Ants as weak?"

H'el smiled, his gaze calm and emotionless, making the Nameless Monk feel a chill in his heart.

"Do you know how many types of black ants there are? Black-spined ants, little yellow ants, big-headed ants, worker ants, sword-jawed ants, Izza ants, Loser ants, leaf-cutting ants, bulldog ants, red fire ants, broad-arrow ants, big-toothed ants, army ants, harvester ants, weaver ants, Argentine ants, bullet ants, warrior ants, Mexican honey ants... By my count, there are more than 726,892 known species.

I haven't even counted those in other worlds that might have god-like power, capable of destroying worlds, realms, and universes.

So, tell me, which ant did you name me after?"

The Nameless Monk was speechless, unable to say a word. The number of black ant species he knew... didn't even come close to H'el's knowledge.

H'el smirked, his gaze looking down on the world, a hint of pity in his eyes. Pity for this shallow knowledge, which has been regarded as absolute.

To think that black ants are weak—that kind of definition.

"Forget it; it doesn't matter which type of ant it is.

But no matter the species, their teamwork and cooperation are outstanding. How could they be called weak?"

"Even as individuals, an ant can lift something over 400 times its own body weight, making them the strongest proportionally in the natural world."

Hearing this, the Nameless Monk felt a chill in his heart.

"Renaming me Black Ant is equivalent to giving me the strength of a Black Ant. Your perception differs from mine... but by making me a proportional Black Ant, I accept this power and name."

H'el's gaze gradually grew colder as he slowly raised his Zanpakuto, its tip pointing to the sky, his expression calm.

'Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!'

In the sky, countless dark spheres appeared, densely packed, shattering the barrier, covering all of the Seireitei, plunging everyone into darkness.

°°°

Hungry for more chaps? Then check out our pătreon!

Link: Påtreon.com/BaphometFiction

I post 20 advanced chapters of this fanfic there.