In everyone's eyes, the boy fell straight down.
There was a single dull sound as his thin body struck the shattered earth, a faint puff of dust rising around him. At that instant, countless hearts clenched in unison.
"A Li!!"
"God Su!!"
"Su Li-san!!"
Faces turned pale. Panic surged like a storm. No one cared about Aizen's seal or the battlefield anymore; all rushed toward the bottom of the crater.
Sui-Feng was the fastest.
Omaeda was second.
That same Omaeda, the timid, boastful vice-captain who had always avoided danger, now moved with a speed that left even veteran captains startled. His courage today surpassed anything he had shown in his entire career. From facing Aizen head-on to this desperate sprint, every action shattered his old image.
What no one knew was that his speed came from brutal training under his two merciless captains Su Li and Sui-Feng. Under their alternating drills, Omaeda's Shunpo had reached the level of effortless mastery. Without it, he would never have survived long enough in their division.
In moments, the crowd gathered around the fallen boy.
Sui-Feng reached him first. Seeing Su Li lying motionless, her heart constricted until it hurt to breathe. His eyes were still open, but the light within had dulled. Blood stained his uniform, flowing from dozens of reopened wounds. Until this moment, he had suppressed the pain by sheer will but now that will had finally given way.
The brilliant Zanpakutō he once held had already reverted to its ordinary form, resting loosely in his hand.
No one spoke. Even the wind seemed to still. The boy had remained vigilant until the very end, never allowing himself a moment of ease. Even at this level of power, he had taught them again what it meant to bear the weight of resolve.
Omaeda knelt beside Sui-Feng, his face stricken. He dared not speak. The sight of the young man's still body terrified him, yet he knew that saying the wrong word might provoke Sui-Feng's wrath something even the gods might fear. He could only wait, trembling.
The others looked on anxiously. Su Li's body gave off no spiritual pressure. Normally that would mean nothing; his Reiatsu had long surpassed human perception. But now, that silence felt different cold, hollow. There were no clear signs of life.
Only those closest could feel the faint, flickering breath within. And that privilege, of course, belonged to Sui-Feng.
She cradled him gently, drawing him into her arms. Then, to everyone's shock, she lifted a trembling hand and placed it softly over his eyes. With a quiet motion, she closed them.
Gasps rippled through the air.
That gesture final and absolute.
Every face froze, their thoughts blanking as one terrible conclusion sank in. The world seemed to crumble. No one wanted to believe it. No one could.
This boy their godlike protector had fallen.
A crushing wave of grief swept through the ranks.
Omaeda broke first. He threw back his head and wailed. "It hurts! It hurts so much! Even my heart can't take it! God Su, I've lived five thousand and six years, and now you halfway through your glory you're gone! Heaven is unfair! The heavens are blind!" He sobbed so hard it seemed his soul would collapse from grief.
"It's noisy."
Sui-Feng's cold voice cut through his cries like a blade.
Everyone flinched. Her face was composed, her tone chillingly calm. The others exchanged uneasy looks. Your lover lies lifeless, they thought, and you don't cry yet we can't mourn?
Under their stares, Sui-Feng sighed quietly, her eyes softening as she looked down at the boy in her arms. "He's just asleep."
"Asleep...?"
The crowd fell silent, uncertain whether to hope or despair.
Omaeda's sobbing only grew louder. "Yes, asleep forever! Even death can't bend his will!" His dramatic howling nearly sent Sui-Feng over the edge. Her killing intent surged. For once, even Aizen's arrogance seemed less infuriating than this man's stupidity.
Then a sound.
A faint, rhythmic snore. So light it was almost inaudible, yet unmistakably real. The air itself seemed to freeze.
Every head turned at once.
Good grief.
They had mourned a god, only to find him napping.
Unohana stepped forward, placing two fingers gently against the boy's neck. A moment later, her serene expression softened. Relief glimmered in her eyes, accompanied by a quiet, complicated smile. "He truly has fallen asleep."
Omaeda immediately burst into laughter through his tears. "As expected of God Su! Even asleep, he keeps his eyes open first! That's a real man!"
No one answered. They simply exhaled as one, letting the tension drain away. The heaviness in their hearts melted into quiet relief and deep respect.
They understood now. Su Li wasn't resting by choice. His exhaustion was beyond measure.
He had fought an entire day, burning his Reiatsu again and again through multiple awakenings of Ultra Instinct. Every wound, every drop of blood, every surge of power had pushed him beyond the limits of mortality. That he remained standing until victory was nothing short of a miracle.
He was not born with divine strength. He was a human who refused to surrender, a boy who staked his life to protect his world.
Everyone bowed their heads.
Such stubborn resolve such unyielding will. A child who, even when the body broke, refused to fall.
When despair had drowned the world, when the pillars of summer were about to crumble, he stood alone against it all.
That was the pride of Soul Society.
Su Li the boy who rose from ordinary beginnings to shake heaven itself.
He was more than a hero.
He was their true Patron Saint.