As soon as Vollständig was activated, the aura of several individuals instantly underwent a drastic change.
Cang Du stood expressionlessly in the sky, overlooking Yoriichi Tsugikuni, and gently waved his sharp claws.
The power continuously surging from his limbs and bones gave him a very significant sense of confidence.
It was as if any substance would be easily pierced and torn apart by his iron claws.
A man of few words, Cang Du disappeared from his original spot after speaking and swung his claw again.
"Cang Du of Steel? Sternritter I?"
Yoriichi watched Cang Du charge fiercely towards him, and his thought of capturing Haschwalth slightly weakened.
He calmly and easily used his hellfire to steadily block the opponent's powerful iron claw.
Clang!
In an instant, sparks shot out like brilliant meteors, blooming with dazzling yet fleeting light in the air.
Cang Du, affected by the recoil, involuntarily took two steps back.
A clear crack appeared on his indestructible iron claw, but before anyone could see it clearly, the cracks instantly healed.
Cang Du saw it and his expression grew colder.
As expected of an opponent even Haschwalth couldn't defeat.
He was in his Vollständig state, yet his weapon almost broke.
He could probably understand Haschwalth's feelings from just now.
No wonder he looked so exhausted.
One must know that even though Quincy can recover from injuries by absorbing reishi, they will eventually be unable to continue if they overuse their abilities.
After all, mental fatigue does not simply disappear.
"Excellent!"
Cang Du let out a low roar and charged towards Yoriichi again without fear.
Just then, Berenice Gabrielli's Vollständig was ready.
He immediately began to question Yoriichi Tsugikuni in every aspect.
Questioning his strength, questioning his existence...
This was the ability of Sternritter Q—Question.
Anyone named and questioned was obligated to answer all of Gabrielli's questions.
This was similar to a forced control method, intended to distract the enemy during combat.
Normally, this ability was quite useless.
Because verbal control in a one-on-one fight simply couldn't effectively affect the opponent, and would instead infuriate them.
But in a chaotic battle, the situation was completely different.
Through this, one could even peek into the opponent's secrets...
Gabrielli's booming voice suddenly rang out:
"I object! Yoriichi Tsugikuni, you shouldn't possess such strength within a hundred years. Where did your power come from?!"
"Why can't Haschwalth's Balance affect you?"
"Why can your reishi ignore even the Finger of Flame?!"
He questioned continuously, "A Shinigami like you shouldn't exist..."
As his words fell, the ability of Sternritter Q was activated.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni seemed to be affected by an invisible force, his body involuntarily stiffened slightly, and he subconsciously opened his mouth.
But the next second, he forcefully stopped this action with his own willpower.
After hearing Berenice Gabrielli's voice, he immediately understood what ability the opponent was using.
So.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni instantly appeared behind the opponent, and then together, he slammed him deep into the ground, the entire process taking less than a second.
And on the other side, Bazz-B had just struggled out of the dirt, and before he could counterattack...
Gabrielli, flying towards him with terrifying power, like a cannonball, knocked him back again.
Thud!
"Bastard!"
Bazz-B cursed angrily, his expression extremely ugly.
Since birth, he had never suffered such a great loss.
He recalled that even when he met Yhwach, he resolutely shot an arrow at Yhwach, preferring to die standing than live on his knees.
But now, Yoriichi Tsugikuni seemed to completely disregard him.
Damn it, am I really that weak?!
Bazz-B exerted force and flipped Gabrielli, who was pressing down on him.
Then he leaped up into the sky, his five fingers simultaneously igniting, determined to prove his strength.
"Burning Finger, 5! Hellfire!"
Watching the vortex of flames, stronger than before, sweep towards him, Yoriichi Tsugikuni slightly turned his body, dodging it with minimal movement.
Then, Yoriichi severed Cang Du's iron claw and slammed Cang Du towards Bazz-B with a palm strike.
Although Bazz-B saw this clearly, he was dominated by anger and had no time to dodge.
He watched helplessly as Cang Du crashed into him, and then was once again brutally slammed into the ground, looking utterly disheveled.
Cang Du wanted to stop himself, but everything happened too fast.
By the time he reacted, Bazz-B had already been knocked away...
The disparity in strength between them was immense.
...
On the other side.
Haschwalth was opening the Shadow Realm.
Because the Human World was quite far from Wandenreich, it took time to open.
He had just opened it when he suddenly saw Cang Du, Bazz-B, and Gabrielli utterly defenseless.
Although he was mentally prepared, Cang Du and Gabrielli were one thing...
But when he saw Bazz-B about to be defeated, and even possibly die before his eyes...
A ripple suddenly appeared in Haschwalth's long-calm heart.
Yoriichi, having dealt with the two, originally intended to finish the fight quickly.
After all, he had generally figured out the Sternritter abilities these Quincy possessed.
Just as he disappeared and appeared near Haschwalth, an inexplicable emotion arose in his heart.
It was an emotion he had never experienced before.
So much so that his movements froze for a few tenths of a second, and his gaze subconsciously turned in one direction.
—Pit was there.
There's another Quincy?
His presence is a bit low...
What Sternritter is it?
Yoriichi knew that this situation, where he naturally overlooked Pit, was far from normal.
If it weren't for that slight abnormality that arose in his heart, he probably wouldn't have discovered him at all.
However, due to too little contact with him before, Yoriichi couldn't judge.
...
"This is a monster! My ability can only affect him for an instant. I wish I hadn't come, damn it!"
Pit's face was pale, his eyes filled with terror.
He mumbled to himself in a low voice, while holding his breath, trying to make his presence even lower.
Unfortunately, once the ability was activated, there was no turning back.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni had already noticed him.
Seeing the opponent's gaze, Pit's heart pounded, and he knew he was finished.
Because he had only recently become a Quincy, he hadn't mastered Vollständig or anything like that.
The only thing he could rely on was his Sternritter, but the Sternritter seemed useless... No, it still had a little effect.
At least, it made Yoriichi Tsugikuni feel an indescribable emotion.
It was like returning to the day when he intensely fought Kibutsuji Muzan during his human period, a battle where being hit once meant death.
Fortunately, the impact wasn't very severe.
Because in his entire life, the only time he experienced a death threat up close was that one time.
Thinking about it carefully, it had been over a hundred years...
...
"A very good ability."
"Fear, or something else..."
It's unlikely to be pure fear, as pure fear can't lower one's presence.
This is more like a situation where one pretends to be weak, thereby causing the strong to ignore them...
Sternritter have this kind of trouble in ability deduction; there are simply too many words that fit the conditions.
Unable to reach an accurate conclusion in a short time, Yoriichi simply stopped thinking about it, adjusted his breathing, and then, in another instant, defeated Pit as well.
Haschwalth could only watch all of this happen, utterly powerless to stop it.
He gritted his teeth, one foot already crossing the threshold of the Shadow Realm.
Although he really wanted to support them, the scales in his heart tilted towards His Majesty.
For His Majesty, he couldn't die here; once he died, no one would be able to bestow Sternritter.
The moment Pit fell, Cang Du, while absorbing reishi to recover from his injuries, once again lunged towards Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
He knew Yoriichi wanted to stop Haschwalth from leaving... He absolutely couldn't let Yoriichi Tsugikuni succeed!
"Serpentine Claw!"
Massive reishi transformed into a powerful snake-shaped spiritual current, roaring towards Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Everything in its path was torn to shreds by this force.
Yoriichi turned sideways, and taking advantage of the moment Cang Du swung his blade past him, he struck Cang Du's heart with a palm strike.
Even though Cang Du possessed a body harder than steel and reinforced internal organs, it ultimately couldn't compare to the strength of his skin.
With his heart damaged, Cang Du vomited blood in mid-air, his control over reishi clearly faltering, and he plummeted straight towards the ground.
His unwilling eyes were wide and round, staring fixedly at the sky.
The vast difference in strength between them caused a sense of frustration to well up from the bottom of his heart.
Am I, Cang Du of Steel, really defeated so helplessly?
No, I haven't even sacrificed my life for His Majesty yet, how can I be defeated here!
He held his breath, used Quincy, and his injuries healed again.
The claw wind he unleashed enveloped the entire world, completely blocking Yoriichi Tsugikuni's path forward.
"Life is truly tenacious. With such tenacious life, why not cherish it?"
Yoriichi saw all of Cang Du's actions and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
He suddenly felt that the Quincy's vitality was no different from those demons.
No matter how badly they were beaten, they could recover instantly.
As if they possessed immortality.
No choice.
Bankai cannot be used in the Human World, otherwise the burst of reishi would affect the souls of all humans within several hundred kilometers.
At the same time, given that these Quincy currently posed no real threat, and their abilities had already been collected...
Yoriichi swung his sword, cutting through the sky-obscuring claw wind.
Whoosh!
The invisible slash whistled past, easily tearing through Cang Du's surface defense, making it difficult for him to maintain his Vollständig, and blood splattered.
Before he could recover from the shock, he was heavily struck down to the ground by that invisible slash.
Bang!
Dust billowed up, instantly enveloping everything around, and the sound of the earth cracking echoed in his ears.
Cang Du felt a pain in his chest, coughed up a large amount of blood, and barely managed to raise his eyes, only to see the forest behind him split in two.
A giant chasm appeared in the middle of the forest, trees falling to either side, and broken branches scattered everywhere.
If one were to look down from high above, even the hundreds of square kilometers of lake deep in the forest would be cut in half.
It stretched endlessly, chilling to the bone.
"Damn it!"
Such a disparity in strength was no longer something a Vollständig could compensate for.
To be able to unleash such a fierce slash with a broken Zanpakuto...
If the Zanpakuto were fully restored, wouldn't its power be even more terrifying?
Cang Du's expression was full of apprehension, as he gritted his teeth, his heart filled with unwillingness.
At this moment, Bazz-B, who had been smashed flying twice before, crawled out from deep underground again.
He looked at the forest, split into two, and an unknown rage ignited within him.
His fists clenched, and all five fingers ignited, preparing to use Vollständig—he absolutely could not be so cowardly any longer!
However, before he could unleash his reishi, in the next second, Yoriichi Tsugikuni appeared beside him and stopped him with a single stroke of his sword.
"There's no need to waste any more effort; your ability is too dangerous, and you absolutely cannot be allowed to harm the surrounding humans."
"Your friend has already escaped. It seems your relationship is more ordinary than I imagined, but never mind..."
"His abilities have been completely collected by us, so even if he appears again, he won't be able to cause any trouble."
"Bazz-B, come with me."
Bazz-B was very resistant in his heart, but he couldn't fight against the superior situation.
Yoriichi used Bakudo to restrain him and then opened the Senkaimon.
"Damn it! Let me go! If you have the guts, let me use Vollständig!"
Yoriichi ignored Bazz-B's provocation and turned to look at Cang Du and Pitt.
Just then, Gabriel, who had been knocked unconscious, barely regained consciousness.
The wings on his back were shattered, blood seeped from his forehead, and his head was still a bit hazy.
He struggled to crawl out from deep underground.
Before he could even see what was happening in front of him, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness once more.
Thud.
Thus, the three were bound together, completely losing their ability to resist.
Yoriichi took them back to the Soul Society.
...The battle temporarily concluded.
...
In the Twelfth Division, Mayuri stood in the open space outside, a sinister smile on his face.
He stared intently at the four Quincy who had been captured and brought back, thinking that this was a great harvest.
Kisuke Urahara expressed "sympathy" for those Quincy in the Human World.
But for these enemies of the Wandenreich, it should not be the case.
After completing the handover procedures, to prevent these Quincy from turning into bones and losing their research value during detention.
The two used some methods to put the bodies and souls of the few into a state of suspended animation, and only then did they feel slightly relieved.
Later, after placing them in a barrier that isolated reishi influence, Kisuke Urahara turned to look at Yoriichi, a relaxed smile on his face:
"You've truly worked hard, Yoriichi; you've once again helped us capture these guys."
"You might not have been aware of this when you were in the Human World."
"When those two Quincy died previously, their power seemed to have dispersed near the Dangai."
"In other words, if our deduction is correct, the Wandenreich's stronghold is most likely there."
Kisuke Urahara slowed his speech, his gaze shifting, a slight smile playing on his lips as he speculated,
"I wonder what kind of expressions these Quincy will show when they hear this news..."
"If there's any unusual reaction, it means our deduction is correct."
"At that time, it will be our time to counterattack..."
...
...
At the same time.
Wandenreich.
Haschwalth's face was pale, and with somewhat unsteady steps, he slowly returned to the Silver Frame City.
Due to the urgency of the situation, he had no time to recover his strength and rushed to Yhwach's side to report in detail what had happened today.
Four Sternritter members were captured alive by the Shinigami.
At the same time, an anomaly appeared on the Shinigami side, whose strength was comparable to... no, even surpassed Yamamoto Genryusai.
If not for that, their abilities could not have become so weak.
Even if everyone worked together to use Vollständig, they could not pose a threat to Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
While there was certainly the factor of thin reishi in the Human World, one must not forget that Yoriichi Tsugikuni never used Shikai throughout this battle.
Let alone Bankai.
Considering that Bankai power is usually five to ten times that of the normal state.
Once Yoriichi Tsugikuni uses Bankai, even if he were in Hueco Mundo, and all Sternritter activated their Vollständig, they probably wouldn't be his match.
This matter was extremely serious and must be given high priority.
Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.
However, Haschwalth had not yet expressed the unease in his heart.
Yhwach's calm voice suddenly resounded deep in his mind:
"Your heart is troubled, Haschwalth."
"It's merely surpassing Yamamoto Genryusai; that fellow is old. Even if he is surpassed, there's nothing to be concerned about."
"An anomaly? Before The Almighty, no secrets exist."
"It seems this battle has left a deep psychological shadow on you... Never mind, go release Gremmy Thoumeaux."
"Since the Shinigami are about to discover us, we cannot sit idly by."
Although Haschwalth was not clear about Yhwach's specific intentions, the decision to release Gremmy Thoumeaux still greatly surprised him.
Because the ability of [The Visionary] was too powerful, and before Yhwach had fully awakened, no Sternritter could control it.
To prevent Gremmy from inadvertently causing immeasurable damage to the Wandenreich, he was usually kept imprisoned.
..."Yes."
Despite his confusion, Haschwalth still unhesitatingly accepted the order and turned to carry out this task.
When he brought Gremmy Thoumeaux before Yhwach.
Gremmy's true form—a brain preserved in a glass jar—had already transformed into the appearance of a handsome blond youth.
His hands were casually tucked into his pockets, his eyes slightly narrowed, and a faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips.
The white hood he wore cast a subtle shadow over his nose, adding a mysterious touch to his face.
Although he appeared gentle and amiable, the overall aura he exuded still gave one a subtle impression akin to a smiling tiger.
Gremmy Thoumeaux surveyed his surroundings without speaking or thinking.
He tried to keep his mind blank to avoid damaging the environment.
Soon, in this state, after direct communication with Yhwach...
He quickly understood the reason for His Majesty's release and the task he was to perform next.
—To use imagination to create something that could absorb the Shinigami's Bankai.
"??"
Haschwalth also heard the task content and couldn't help but show a puzzled expression.
Could the Shinigami's Bankai actually be absorbed?
Could [The Visionary] even do such a thing?
What was the principle behind it?
He forgot, fantasy doesn't need a principle, but one thing needs attention.
That is, the imagined things must be based on reality.
"I understand, Your Majesty."
Gremmy Thoumeaux nodded gently, his posture humble, "My ability can indeed create such things."
"But..."
Saying this, he frowned slightly, paused for a moment, and continued,
"I need a Shinigami with Bankai to test if the item can be used normally."
"Otherwise, things imagined out of thin air are just empty shells and cannot possess the corresponding abilities."
Just as he couldn't create a space shuttle if he had never seen one.
Only by truly seeing it and understanding every detail could he recreate it one-to-one.
Like in the story, the cosmic space shattered by Kenpachi's sword.
Because it had never been seen, it was incredibly fragile.
Regarding this.
Yhwach directly assigned the task of capturing a Bankai Shinigami to Haschwalth, intending for him to make amends for his failure.
Afterward, he commanded him to use Seeleschneider to attempt to extract the power of those four individuals.
For Yhwach, the lives and deaths of these people were inconsequential; they were merely sustenance. Every Quincy in the world was his sustenance.
Unfortunately, before the command was given, Kisuke Urahara had already properly hidden those four.
Haschwalth's Seeleschneider ultimately failed.
"I am very sorry."
Although he said so and his expression remained unchanged, deep down in Haschwalth's heart, there was still a faint trace of relief.
Regardless of how he and Bazz-B had gotten along over the past thousand years, emotionally, Bazz-B was his friend.
It was just their positions that differed.
If Bazz-B hadn't insisted on killing Yhwach, he wouldn't have stood on the opposing side to Bazz-B... favors are the hardest to repay.
Upon learning of the failure of Seeleschneider, Yhwach's voice deepened slightly, as if he had a new evaluation of the Shinigami's current methods:
"No need to apologize. It seems that during the thousand years I was asleep, the Shinigami were not standing still..."
"Very well, find a few more people to fill the vacancies."
"The Wandenreich is about to be exposed, Gremmy Thoumeaux, the task of concealment will be entrusted to you from now on."
"From today onwards, I command you to be the Vice-Captain of the Sternritter, assisting Haschwalth in managing the Wandenreich."
"Fifty years of time, I hope you do not disappoint me..."
The power of imagination is immensely powerful, capable of almost anything, including spatial transference, defensive deployment, and location concealment.
There were still fifty years until his awakening...
It was close.
Once he awakens, before the power of The Almighty,
Even Yamamoto Genryusai, or a Shinigami who surpasses Yamamoto Genryusai, even with Squad Zero, would have to bow down before him.
The reason for his defeat a thousand years ago was simply because that monk sealed his The Almighty...
A thousand years later, without the means of sealing, he would stand proudly at the pinnacle of the Three Realms.
This was the future he had foreseen and chosen a thousand years ago.
"Yes." x2
The two responded in unison, their voices echoing in the silent hall.
Lingering for a long time.