"Stop!"
A roar like an erupting volcano, accompanied by Reiatsu violent to the extreme, crashed into and shattered the multiple barriers outside the courtroom.
The heavy stone door was directly vaporized by the violent flame Reiatsu.
A figure wearing a white haori, holding an ancient Zanpakuto, with hair and beard bristling, entered first.
Behind him followed almost all the Captains and Lieutenants of the Gotei 13, as well as a large number of elite soldiers.
"Chiaki Setsuna!" Witnessing the tragic scene in the courtroom, Yamamoto forcibly suppressed the urge to let the corners of his mouth rise, trying hard to pretend to be furious.
"Your actions tonight… kidnapping the wise sages, publicly humiliating the Central 46, even intending to execute vigilante justice! Are you completely betraying Soul Society and making an enemy of the entire Gotei 13?"
"Captain-Commander!"
"Yamamoto-sama! Save us!"
"This madman! He's going to kill us! Stop him!"
Seeing Yamamoto and the Gotei 13 appear, those collapsed wise sages and judges, as if seizing their last lifeline...
They erupted in piercing cries and pleas, tears and snot streaming down their faces, utterly revealing their ugly side.
Setsuna merely turned around calmly: "Betray Soul Society? No, Captain-Commander, you are mistaken. It's not that I betrayed Soul Society, it's that Soul Society betrayed the Shinigami."
"Look behind you, Captain-Commander. Look at the eyes of those Shinigami. In their hearts, they are cheering for me."
Yamamoto turned his head slightly, glancing behind him from the corner of his eye.
In thousands of eyes, there flickered shock, gratification, satisfaction, and even undisguised adoration and fanaticism.
Not a single person showed opposition or hostility towards Setsuna, even those Shinigami originating from noble families.
'I knew it. He is the most suitable person for the Captain-Commander position.' Yamamoto's heart was gratified, but then he felt a bit depressed.
If he had only been called a 'shirking turtle' by Setsuna before, after today, who knew how many soldiers would curse him in their hearts for 'aiding the tyrant'.
He sighed inwardly, then straightened his expression: "Order cannot be broken in such a violent, thorough manner."
"Although these wise sages and judges are deeply sinful, they should still be tried, convicted, and sentenced through legal procedures."
"We can use gentle, gradual methods to avoid plunging all of Soul Society into complete chaos and turmoil! Chiaki Setsuna, stop now. We can..."
"Gentle? Gradual?" Setsuna directly interrupted Yamamoto, his voice carrying resolute determination.
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto, don't you see yet? The darkness and decay of Soul Society are no longer just a surface problem. They are a terminal illness that has penetrated the bone marrow and rotted the very roots!"
"Hesitation leads to disaster! Today, I will personally tear open a gap in this world shrouded in darkness for too long, bringing the first ray of truly belonging to the light!"
Setsuna completed his Shikai. The magnificent, sacred Phoenix Cloth, burning with undying flames, instantly covered his entire body.
The sacred and majestic aura perfectly fused with his violent and scorching Reiatsu, making him appear like a war god stepping out from mythology.
"Judgment by Karmic Flames!"
Without any hesitation, Setsuna punched towards Yamamoto.
A condensed to the utmost pillar of flame, carrying the will of purification and judgment, tore through space and shot straight at Yamamoto.
"Obstinate! Jokaku Enjo!" Yamamoto also held nothing back, unleashing a powerful technique from the start.
Countless pillars of blazing white flames erupted from the ground like volcanoes, meeting Setsuna's crimson karmic flames.
Two types of flames, representing different ideals, different wills, yet both possessing the might to incinerate all things, collided ferociously within this space symbolizing supreme power, the Central 46.
Crimson gold and blazing white intertwined, annihilated, and exploded.
Terrifying heat and shockwaves instantly swept through the entire courtroom. The sturdy Sekiseki Walls began to melt and crack. The Reishi Lights in the dome shattered one by one.
"Fall back! Quickly!" Kyoraku, Ukitake, and other Captains rapidly ordered.
The members of the Gotei 13 retreated swiftly, moving away from this destructive collision center.
Koga reacted extremely quickly, immediately protecting the two relatively innocent wise sages and fleeing the courtroom, using his Reiatsu to construct simple defenses.
However, the forty-four collapsed wise sages and judges, unable to move, were not so lucky.
They were right at the edge of the area where the two flames collided.
Although Setsuna and Yamamoto's main target was each other, the aftershocks produced by the flame collision, the spraying sparks, and the terrifying to the utmost heat radiation inevitably affected them.
"Ah!"
"Hot! So hot!"
"Help! Captain-Commander! Save us!"
"My soul... is burning! Aaaah!"
Piercing screams, inhuman, instantly rang out.
Due to the tacit understanding between Setsuna and Yamamoto, these wise sages and judges were mainly affected by the karmic flames. Although not life-threatening, the pain penetrated to the depths of their souls.
Every Reishi in their bodies was being roasted, torn, and purified by the flames.
They rolled madly on the ground, wailed, and slapped at themselves, but could not extinguish the golden sparks, only able to endure this endless hellish torment.
"Captain-Commander! We're still here!"
"Please! Fight somewhere else!"
"Kill me! Kill me quickly! Give me a quick death!"
They cried and pleaded, hoping Yamamoto would notice their miserable state, rescue them first, or directly give them a quick end.
However, Yamamoto pretended not to hear, focusing on fighting Setsuna.
Ryujin Jakka in his hand seemed to transform into the core of a world furnace. The blazing white flames, carrying the domineering force to incinerate all things, firmly blocked and annihilated each of Setsuna's attacks.
The Central 46 courtroom had already transformed into a crucible burning away sin.
Every collision of crimson karmic flames and blazing white flames caused this building, symbolizing ancient order, to tremble violently.
The fragments of cracked Sekiseki turned to ash in the high temperature, then were swept into whirlpools by the even fiercer flames.
Outside the Central 46, some members of the Gotei 13 began to form formations.
Not all were willing. Many Shinigami's eyes flickered with hesitation and struggle.
But a thousand years of discipline and reverence for the Captain-Commander temporarily suppressed their inner thoughts, and they chose to obey.
However, just as this massive force was about to charge into the courtroom...
Three figures, like sharp wedges, nailed themselves in their path.
"Azashiro Soya! Zaraki Kenpachi! Are you also rebelling with Chiaki Setsuna?"
"Kuchiki Koga, this is your last chance!" The Captain of the 5th Division roared harshly.
"Annoying!" Zaraki laughed wildly, carrying his Zanpakuto as he charged forward, his Reiatsu violent like a wild beast.
"I don't care about rebellion or not! As long as there's a fight! Come on! Let me cut loose!"
Before he finished speaking, he had already turned into an afterimage, carrying a piercing shriek that tore the air, ferociously charging into the Gotei 13's battle formation.
No rules, no strategy, only the most primitive, most violent power and speed.
He was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. Wherever he passed, people and horses were thrown into disarray. The booming sounds of Reiatsu collisions were endless.
Azashiro revealed a sickly smile: "Captain is doing what I have dreamed of, yet dared not put into action due to fear and powerlessness… destroying this rotten hotbed, letting the pus and blood drain away."
"So wonderful, so exciting. How could I not guard this brief and precious 'surgery' time for the Captain?"
The buildings, ground, and even the air of the Seireitei seemed to become part of his body. Countless Reishi condensed into blades and spikes, attacking opponents from unbelievable angles.
Koga laughed: "Captain Chiaki gave me the last chance to be human. I will no longer bow my head to you!"
He activated Muramasa's ability, and in an instant, the Zanpakuto of dozens of Shinigami turned against their masters.
"What's going on? My sword!"
"Oh no! The Zanpakuto is out of control!"
"My blade is resisting me!"
Cries of alarm rose within the Gotei 13's battle formation.
For the dozens of Shinigami charging at the front, their Zanpakuto either had disordered Reiatsu backlashing against them, or simply turned their blade tips, aiming at the companions beside them.