In the endless depths of Muken, there was only darkness.
And silence.
A silence so absolute that even the concept of time seemed to lose its meaning.
Here, there was no light, no direction, no sense of distance, only an eternal void that devoured everything.
Loneliness itself felt tangible.
Long ago, when Azashiro Soya had escaped from this place, with his assistance, Aizen had partially recovered his ability to speak.
Though it was only a fragment of his former freedom, it was still enough for him to express thought.
Yet, that was all.
He still could not leave Muken.
The seals binding him were not something that could be broken so easily.
Even with the Negación threads once brought by Roka Paramia, even with external interference, breaking through Muken itself was not a simple matter.
After all, even someone like Azashiro had been imprisoned here because of the Central 46's will.
And Aizen?
Though the Hōgyoku resided within him, his reiatsu was completely restrained.
Urahara Kisuke's sealing techniques, combined with the restraining apparatus developed by Kurotsuchi Mayuri, had locked him down to an extreme degree.
For now, escape was impossible.
But Aizen did not care.
During his imprisonment, he had done nothing but think.
Over and over again, he replayed everything.
Every decision.
Every battle.
Every miscalculation.
Things he had not fully understood before, he reconsidered.
Things he had overlooked, he dissected.
And through that process, he gained insight.
This was precisely why, when speaking to Azashiro, he had said that failure held meaning.
Because for someone like him, even defeat could become nourishment.
Originally, after learning Azashiro's intentions, Aizen had expected him to return soon.
The reasoning was simple.
What Azashiro sought to accomplish, would inevitably fail.
But even now, he had not returned.
Which meant, something unexpected had occurred.
Aizen considered this possibility briefly and then dismissed it.
It did not matter.
And then, something else happened.
Something unexpected, yet, in a way, inevitable.
Another presence entered Muken.
Not a prisoner.
Not a guard.
But an intruder.
…
At the very moment their gazes met, Aizen recognized him.
There was no hesitation, no doubt that this man was the progenitor of the Quincy.
Yhwach.
The moment he understood the man's identity, Aizen immediately grasped the broader situation.
The quincies, those who had hidden themselves in the shadows, had finally begun their move.
The war had started, and he was not surprised.
Long before his sealing, he had already been aware of the existence of the so-called Invisible Empire.
He had even hinted at such matters to Urahara Kisuke in the past.
At one point, he had even regarded Yhwach as a hypothetical enemy.
A future opponent.
A being worthy of consideration.
Yet, before that confrontation could ever occur, he had been defeated by Kurosaki Ichigo.
And yet, he did not feel resentment.
Not anymore.
The anger he once felt had long since faded.
What remained, was clarity.
That defeat had refined him.
Deepened him.
He could even sense it, the Hōgyoku within him had fused further with his existence.
Even in this sealed state, he had evolved again.
Then, Yhwach spoke.
He revealed his purpose without concealment.
He could free Aizen from Muken.
Break the restraints and return him to the battlefield.
But in exchange, Aizen would serve him, and become his subordinate.
Aizen rejected him without hesitation.
There was no need to think.
No need to weigh the options.
The answer was obvious.
Yhwach showed a trace of regret.
But only a trace.
After a brief exchange, he turned and left.
With his departure, Muken fell silent once more.
Darkness reclaimed everything.
Time passed, unknown how long.
And then, Aizen's voice echoed softly.
Filled with disdain.
"…So, this is the king of the quincies."
"Yhwach… how underwhelming."
His thoughts shifted.
Another figure surfaced in his mind.
A man who had once stood against him.
"…Where are you now?"
Meanwhile, after leaving Muken, Yhwach felt a faint irritation.
He did not show it outwardly.
But it existed.
Aizen was both powerful and valuable.
And yet, even after he personally extended an invitation, Aizen had rejected him so cleanly.
That attitude was unpleasant.
So, Yhwach no longer concealed himself.
He appeared directly, within the First Division.
The moment he manifested, Okikiba Genshiro detected him.
As the acting officer in charge during Chojiro's absence, he reacted instantly.
But it meant nothing.
Yhwach merely glanced at him and then raised his hand.
A massive Heilig Pfeil condensed instantly.
BOOM—!!!
A deafening explosion tore through the air.
The First Division headquarters was obliterated.
Okikiba Genshiro along with everything around him was erased in a single strike.
And yet, Yhwach did not leave.
He stood amidst the ruins, calm and unmoved.
Elsewhere, Royd Lloyd had already fulfilled his role.
By imitating Yhwach, he had drawn out Yamamoto Genryūsai's Bankai.
Though Yamamoto's power had evolved compared to a thousand years ago, it did not matter.
Once revealed, it could be analyzed, understood and taken away.
Soon Royd Lloyd died.
And in that instant, his memories, his perceptions, and his observations returned to Yhwach.
Within a fraction of a moment, Yhwach completed his analysis.
The frequency of Yamamoto's reiatsu.
The structure of his Bankai.
Its essence.
All of it was laid bare before him.
He tore a star medallion from his body.
Held it quietly in his hand.
And waited.
Moments later, Yamamoto arrived.
Surrounded by Zanjitsu Gokui, flames invisible yet absolute cloaked his body.
His presence alone distorted the environment.
His eyes burned with fury.
"Yhwach—!!"
Without hesitation, he attacked.
"Zanka no Tachi — Kita: Tenchi Kaijin!"
The ultimate strike.
A blow that erased everything.
If it landed, even Yhwach would die.
But Yhwach did not move.
He did not evade or even tried to defend.
Instead, he raised the medallion and aimed it directly at Yamamoto.
"Do you know Yamamoto Shigekuni…"
His voice was calm.
"Even if your kind possesses a method to reclaim the stolen Bankai…"
"For me—"
"A single moment… is enough to decide everything."
In that instant, the power of Zanka no Tachi, was taken.
Yamamoto felt it immediately.
The connection was severed.
His Zanpakutō was emptied.
For the first time, shock appeared.
He had believed that without prior observation, his Bankai could not be stolen.
That was the foundation of their countermeasures.
But, he had been wrong.
Yhwach did not require time.
Only a moment.
Yamamoto reacted instantly.
He withdrew.
A pill appeared in his hand.
He moved to swallow it, to reclaim his power.
But it was too late.
"Too late."
Yhwach's voice fell.
—shhk!!
Blood scattered.
Yamamoto's arm was severed and the pill fell from his grasp.
It hit the ground.
Yhwach remained calm.
What did it matter, if the shinigami had a method to reclaim Bankai?
Against someone like him, that delay was fatal.
At their level, victory and defeat, were decided in an instant.
*****
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