Chapter 350: Zanka no Tachi

Beneath the blue skies of Seireitei.

In a scene of ruin, a lone towering palace stood, with H'el and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto facing each other atop its winged corners.

H'el felt a shift in his heart.

The three thousand dark spheres in the sky, representing the World of Three Thousand, surged together, forming a dark river of pearls that flowed into his body and Zanpakutō, gathering all the spiritual energy within.

"Absorbing all the spiritual energy into your body means that destroying your body will completely kill you." Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto said in a deep voice.

Changing form indicated that his judgment was correct.

Just like before, if he could stop H'el's World of Three Thousand from absorbing spiritual energy, continuously depleting his power, he could kill H'el by draining him of all his energy. But now, gathering all the energy of the World of Three Thousand into his body, does this mean that H'el intends to use his strongest form to fight him?

"You could say that. But you'll need to destroy every particle of spiritual energy that contains my essence. Otherwise, even with one particle, I can gather the energy and reconstruct my body to revive." H'el responded calmly after absorbing all the energy of the World of Three Thousand into his body. His Zanpakutō, now devoid of flames, turned pitch black. He spoke with a tranquil expression.

His mastery over spiritual energy was beyond anyone else's.

It was rare to encounter someone like Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who could actually counter him.

"Bankai: Zanka no Tachi, Higashi: Kyokujitsujin..."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, with a composed expression, softly chanted his Bankai. The flames of Ryūjin Jakka vanished, and from the hilt, the blade appeared as if burned away like withered wood, the effect spreading slowly to the tip of the sword.

Distorted air rose from the blade.

In an instant, all remaining flames disappeared.

Suddenly, Seireitei became unusually dry, and all residual flames vanished. From an environment of intense heat and fire, everything returned to a clear, visible state, with everything in sharp focus.

"I'm suddenly so thirsty."

"Ah, my lips are dry and cracked, even bleeding."

"What's happening? My sweat is evaporating."

"The water in the lake is disappearing."

"The water tank in the dormitory is emptying—what's going on?"

Throughout Seireitei, people were astonished by the dryness, as if their bodies were being dehydrated, with only hot, parched air around them, devoid of any moisture or coolness.

Running away from the battlefield, Jūshirō Ukitake felt his lips cracking and his throat parched. He was startled. This wasn't from exhaustion or his illness.

Retsu Unohana suddenly felt her skin drying out, losing moisture. She glanced to the side and saw that the green grass by the roadside was starting to turn yellow.

Both Jūshirō Ukitake and Retsu Unohana noticed the anomaly and, along with the many Shinigami who had come to support them, stopped in their tracks. The Shinigami were stunned by the dryness, turning their heads toward the battlefield.

When they saw that Captain-Commander Yamamoto had released his Bankai, their expressions turned extremely grim.

"Leave here! Keep running, don't stop!" Jūshirō Ukitake ordered in a terrified voice.

His teacher had even used his Bankai: Zanka no Tachi, Higashi: Kyokujitsujin. The battle zone was expanding, and these people still stopped. If they didn't run faster, they would be caught up in the battle and die in vain.

He quickly ordered the Shinigami to leave the battlefield. Many of them were confused, thinking, "We're already far enough away. From here, Captain Yamamoto looks as small as an ant. Do we still need to go farther?"

But under the high-ranking orders of their captain, none of them voiced objections and continued to distance themselves from the battle.

"Captain Yamamoto, please resolve this battle quickly. Otherwise, the Soul Society..." Retsu Unohana silently said while running, her steps never faltering.

After all, this was a Bankai that could evaporate the moisture of the Soul Society.

Every second of its existence was damaging the Soul Society.

"Are you not going to use your Bankai in front of me?" Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto stood on the rooftop, his right hand pointing Zanka no Tachi at the ground. The dry wind whipped through his shihakushō, making him appear as a harbinger of despair emerging from the horizon.

"I don't need to. Your strength is only magnified by their weakness. There's no need to overestimate your power," H'el responded calmly as he walked forward with his Zanpakutō.

In just a moment.

The two vanished in a flash step, reappearing in the middle of the rooftop, slashing their Zanpakutō at each other.

'Boom!'

When their blades clashed, H'el's body trembled. The overwhelming force shattered his Zanpakutō completely, the violent energy transmitting through his arm and colliding with his body, leaving him unable to dissipate the sudden and immense power.

The ground of Seireitei, under the impact of the massive force, was torn apart, creating a gigantic canyon over three thousand meters long. Every building caught in the shockwave was pulverized to dust.

Everything turned to dust in an instant.

H'el's body was like a bullet, flying straight through the air, leaving a long trail as he crashed into the canyon, raising a massive cloud of dust.

Meanwhile, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto stood in place, his body igniting with protective flames, forming a cloak of fire. The surrounding environment exploded under the intense heat.

He was now wearing a garment forged of flames!

"Zanka no Tachi, Nishi: Zanjitsu Gokui!"

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto stood atop, holding Zanka no Tachi, surrounded by flames, looking down at H'el, who had been slashed and sent flying into the canyon, creating a vast and blurry cloud of dust.

With a stern and furious expression, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto walked through the flames toward the canyon he had just created.

"By gathering all the spiritual energy together, you've weakened yourself in the face of my Bankai."

Walking through the flames, holding Zanka no Tachi, his gaze turned pitiful.

If only he wasn't so stubborn, if only he knew how to be more tactful and put aside that arrogant attitude, he wouldn't have to face him this way.

Perhaps he could have been like a grandfather to him, teaching him to protect Seireitei and maintain the balance of the three worlds.

But.

He was too dangerous.

He was uncontrollable!

"Cough, cough!"

H'el lay at the bottom of the canyon, his face and features shattered and burned. His body quickly reconstructed its form from within, the spiritual energy shaping his five senses anew.

In an instant, a Zanpakutō appeared in his right hand. From the hilt, the blade was burned away like withered wood, the effect spreading slowly to the tip.

Distorted air rose from the blade, the dust twisting away in fear.

"I've learned..."

°°°

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