While Setsuna was surprised by the strength of the three Zero Division's members, little did he know that within their hearts, a huge wave was also stirring.
The three of them already stood at the pinnacle of Captain-level Shinigami. After having their bodies restructured by the Soul King's power, their strength had surpassed even that limit.
In the long years within the Soul King Palace, they had long grown accustomed to looking down upon the masses, viewing the Gotei 13 as juniors in need of polishing.
Yet as a result, the three of them joining forces were easily suppressed by Setsuna alone.
They could sense that Setsuna was even still distracted, wary of Yamamoto and Ichibe'e who had yet to strike from a distance.
If not for this consideration, perhaps one of the three of them would have already been wounded or even defeated.
Seeing their three colleagues joining forces being suppressed by Setsuna alone, even appearing somewhat embarrassed...
Yamamoto and Ichibe'e, who had been quietly observing, could finally no longer stand by.
"Jokaku Enjo!" Yamamoto swung his blade.
A wall of blazing white flames rose from the ground, cleverly dividing the battlefield, temporarily separating Setsuna from Kirinji and the others.
It restricted Setsuna's ghost-like movement space, while also providing valuable breathing room for the somewhat caught off guard Zero Division trio.
Ichibe'e, with the index and middle fingers of his right hand together, drew a line in the air towards Setsuna.
"Ura Hado: Sannodo - Teppusatsu!"
A gale, formless and without substance, yet seemingly capable of directly cutting soul and space itself, instantly struck towards Setsuna.
"Conqueror's Haki - Phoenix Wings Soaring to the Sky!"
Setsuna clenched his right fist. Black and red lightning-like Conqueror's Haki perfectly fused with the crimson-gold Phoenix flames, wrapping around his fist.
The next moment, a flame Phoenix, wreathed in black and red lightning, soared into the sky.
Boom!!
The flames and gale collided fiercely. The sky seemed like a curtain torn apart by an invisible giant hand, revealing the frightening nothingness behind.
The mere aftershocks caused the Shinigami watching from afar to feel a sting in their souls, and they retreated in horror.
However, neither Setsuna nor Ichibe'e's expressions changed much.
For those at their level, this was merely probing combat.
"Zanka no Tachi, East: Kyokujitsujin!"
Yamamoto's blade turned charred black. The space around it distorted due to the extreme high temperature.
It was no longer flames, but the ultimate of holding the sun's core in one's hand, incinerating all things.
At the same time, Ichibe'e's left hand reached out towards Setsuna.
"Senri Tsutensho!"
A sky-covering, massive palm phantom, condensed from pure Reiatsu, as if crossing space-time from ancient times, sealed off all of Setsuna's escape routes.
With the 'point' of Kyokujitsujin's certain kill ahead, the 'area' of Senri Tsutensho's sealing behind, and the Zero Division trio watching eagerly from the flanks, Setsuna's face showed no trace of fear.
"Shunko: Ultimate Freedom Mode!"
The Shunko originally developed by Yoruichi and reaching its ultimate form in the future, now displayed immensely powerful might on Setsuna.
The instant he entered this mode, the space seal and heavy pressure brought by Senri Tsutensho were forcibly broken through by the extreme speed Setsuna unleashed.
"What?" A flicker of surprise appeared in Ichibe'e's eyes.
The next instant, Setsuna almost teleported before Yamamoto.
"So fast!" Yamamoto's pupils contracted. His rich combat experience led him to instinctively hold his blade to block.
But Setsuna's attack was faster.
"Lightning Speed Fist!"
A heavy thud exploded. A ring of air waves spread outward with the two at its center, again crushing the remaining building debris.
Yamamoto only felt an overwhelming, irresistible force transmitted through his blade. His arms shook violently. The ground beneath his feet collapsed and shattered. He uncontrollably retreated backward, sliding.
Watching from afar, Yoruichi was very excited: "It's the [Shunko] I developed. As expected of Setsuna, he has perfected this technique to such a degree."
'This kid... really doesn't know what it means to go easy on someone.' Yamamoto laughed and cursed inwardly. He also stopped holding back.
"Zanka no Tachi, West: Zanjitsu Gokui!"
He transformed his own Reiatsu into flames of fifteen million degrees, like wrapping himself in the scorching sun, covering his body and blade.
This was a terrifying high temperature capable of instantly plasmafying ordinary matter and directly vaporizing souls.
Merely its existence caused the surrounding air to emit painful screams, and space showed a wavy visual distortion.
Even Setsuna could not engage in close-quarters combat with him under these circumstances.
Meanwhile, the other three Zero Division's members also rallied, forming a faint encirclement with Yamamoto and Ichibe'e.
Under the five-person encirclement, Setsuna's violent offensive was finally effectively curbed.
After all, he was facing two true Transcendent-level existences, and three [Pseudo-Transcendents] who had been modified by the Soul King's power, each with troublesome abilities.
"Tch, the Zero Division, truly has something to them." Setsuna's eyes remained blazing. "But, the warm-up should end."
He suddenly retreated, temporarily leaving the battle circle. The crimson-gold karmic flames burning around him suddenly contracted and condensed, as if brewing something.
"Let me show you the true way to use my Bankai!"
Under everyone's horrified gaze, on the surface of Setsuna's spiritual body, flames actively ignited, even more dazzling than any before, even more resolute, even carrying a meaning of 'self-destruction'.
"Solitary Version: Athena Exclamation!"
His solitary version of Athena Exclamation naturally could not compare to the original. Without the physique of a Saint, the power of this technique would also be reduced.
But even so, the terrifying might still shook all of Soul Society.
An ultimate light and destructive energy, indescribable in words, erupted from the center of Setsuna's burning spiritual body.
It was no longer in the form of flames, but a highly concentrated energy torrent that distorted space and time.
The instant the torrent appeared, it locked onto Senjumaru Shutara.
Among the 'three slackers', she was the weakest, but also the most threatening.
Her Bankai was so powerful that it required the sacrifice of three Zero Division's members to unseal the Blood Oath's Seal for use.
"What?" Senjumaru's face paled in terror.
She had never felt such a pure, such overbearing attack.
She couldn't even react before being swallowed by the energy torrent, her entire body directly evaporating, leaving not a single trace.
Instant kill! An undisputed instant kill!
And Setsuna, who released this attack, after the crimson-gold light erupted, his spiritual body, like a burned-out candle, completely dissipated into the air-
As if he had perished together with Senjumaru.
The entire battlefield fell into deathly silence.
The members of the Gotei 13 gaped, their eyes filled with shock and bewilderment.
"Dead? A great one of the Zero Division was instant killed?"
"Shutara-sama, the one who created the Shihakusho... well, saying it like that, it doesn't seem so impressive?"
"Captain Chiaki also self-destructed? Can he revive?"
As if responding to their speculation, the next second, Setsuna's figure condensed and reappeared from the nothingness.
The Phoenix Cloth was still brilliant, as if the terrible attack that had just burned out his soul had never happened.