A Sharp Turn for the Worse

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

His pale knuckles trembled slightly in the pink glow, while the taut line of his jaw remained motionless. The rolling cherry blossom tide carved thousands of spiral trajectories in the air, accompanied by ear-piercing metallic humming, scraping spiderweb-like cracks into the ground beneath Gerard's feet.

After receiving help from Tenjirō, Byakuya, who had almost completely recovered, maintained his usual cold expression.

At this moment, his eyes held only his enemy.

Pink turbulence surged, instantly making Gerard, who was confronting the Myō'ō, top-heavy.

The terrifying momentum like a mountain roar and tsunami seemed even the giant couldn't resist, letting out some muffled shouts at this moment.

"Ugh..."

The giant formed from air showed an unusually solid feeling.

But even so, at this moment it still couldn't block Senbonzakura's powerful assault...

His right arm, trying to lift the giant sword, bulged with veins, but in the next wave it crashed heavily to the ground, sending shattered stones flying like grapeshot.

Clearly just a Shikai, why could it explode to a degree that made even a Schutzstaffel member who had activated Vollständig stagger?

The answer was naturally simple.

"We haven't just been drinking and waiting to die during this time!"

A familiar figure suddenly leaped up behind Byakuya.

Renji roared at this moment, swinging his Zabimaru, his torn voice wrapped in bloodlust.

"Bankai... Sōō Zabimaru!"

Boom!!!

Surging spiritual pressure formed turbulence, instantly gathering around Renji's body as he let out an almost hoarse roar.

The python's joints cracked and swelled violently, each scale showing lava-like red patterns.

The Squad Six lieutenant swung the long blade in his hand at this moment.

Go.

"Hihiō Zabimaru!!!"

Bright yellow light manifested from the ferocious snake head, and after brief concentration, a gradually blooming brilliance appeared before everyone.

Not good...

Haschwalth instinctively wanted to approach and help block this attack.

However, just as his mirror cloak began to ripple, he felt the chill of a blade brushing past his neck.

A rather playful voice came from behind.

"Guys like you who can always help others in emergencies are really annoying..."

His lazily drawn-out tone suddenly turned sharp—

"If we don't deal with you, our offensive will be constrained."

"...?!"

When did he get behind me?

Blade met shield, sparks flew from the collision, and both sides began confronting each other at this moment.

To respond to Kyōraku, Haschwalth lost the best opportunity to provide support.

Gerard's figure was instantly swallowed at this moment.

The ice dragon and Myō'ō both retreated, watching the giant gradually burn away... yet the next moment, it erupted with even more terrifying momentum.

Thump, thump, thump.

One echo after another surged like waves.

The air rolled back toward the center at this moment.

The ground suddenly collapsed.

The nebula formed from Gerard's remains began to collapse, spiritual particle turbulence rolling like boiling water.

The newly condensed giant body broke through the clouds, the Schrift M on its chest like molten gold. When it roared toward the sky, the hurricane it stirred up blew away ruins a hundred meters away, and the debris suspended in the air waves was actually pulverized by the sound waves.

Another giant rose from the ground.

However, what appeared at this moment was Gerard himself, magnified countless times.

"Ahh!!!"

He roared loudly, the waves produced by his shouting formed visible air currents, spreading layer by layer toward the surroundings at this moment.

"What..."

Kensei and Rōjūrō, who had already released their Zanpakutō and were planning to charge forward, had no time to react.

Both were hit by the wind waves, tumbling and flying out in quite embarrassing postures...

Byakuya's pupils contracted slightly at this moment.

Because he saw his Senbonzakura as if it had hit a high wall, unable to make any progress at this moment...

Rebirth while also bringing defensive enhancement?

This phenomenon completely defied common sense.

However, this wasn't the time to complain. No matter how incomprehensible, Byakuya could only try to accept reality.

Hitsugaya, controlling the ice dragon, had the same feeling, but at this moment his attention was still focused on the other side... compared to the immortal giant, he was more concerned about the guy using poison.

"We need to continue attacking! I'll go over there first!"

Hitsugaya accelerated and sprinted away from his position. He had already gathered his strength, but the recovered Gerard didn't seem to plan on letting him go.

The giant roared and extended its right hand, exaggeratedly like fishing for a slippery loach in flowing water.

"I won't let you have your way!"

Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō silently crashed into it.

The long blade originally gripped in its hand had now been thrown directly to the ground.

The reason for not using weapons... was that they simply couldn't be of much use.

After all, both sides in the current confrontation were absurdly massive, each punch and kick capable of shaking heaven and earth.

—Since they couldn't inflict any real damage, they at least had to find a way to stop the opponent's actions.

The two giants instantly began wrestling.

Hitsugaya continued ascending toward the sky. Pernida, silent until now, suddenly reacted, seemingly wanting to respond...

But two figures had already stood before it.

"Cough, cough, cough cough..."

Ukitake covered his mouth with his left hand, his expression somewhat pained as he spoke.

"Your opponent is me."

Mayuri beside him had no intention of caring about his colleague. He just stared straight at the small Quincy in front of him, using that sarcastic tone.

"Of course, there's also me."

Two captains had already set their sights on this guy early on.

Mayuri even had the leisure to show a quite happy smile.

"I've been observing you for a long time, left hand of the Soul King."

"Clearly being part of the Soul King's body, yet after separation becoming Quincy power..."

"Regardless of the purpose, from the current perspective it feels strange and treasonous. It really makes me want to dissect you to see your structure."

Ukitake beside him didn't respond. He just looked with complex emotions at the small figure before him.

The Soul King's right hand dwelling within his body was faintly reacting at this moment.

The confrontation didn't last long.

Perhaps because Mayuri's statement had already caused psychological discomfort to the 'hand in question'.

After brief silence, Pernida suddenly began twisting its body.

The clothing on its body began constantly undulating and expanding, finally breaking free violently! Along with a mass of flesh rapidly colliding at this moment, many people also cast their gazes this way.

"Pernida... not... traitor... Soul Reapers... are... enemies!"

"Amazing discovery! I didn't expect the Soul King's left hand to actually possess the ability to learn and speak? This is truly a major discovery worthy of being recorded in history!"

"Noisy... guy!"

Pernida swung over violently, but was directly blocked by Ukitake.

As soon as both sides clashed, Pernida fell into strange silence. It seemed to be affected by something invisible, losing control of 'consciousness' at this moment.

Mayuri's originally fanatical expression also seemed to be doused with cold water at this moment, rapidly 'cooling down'.

"Tsk... what, won't even give people a chance to study it a little?"

The Soul King's left hand and right hand.

One symbolized progress, one symbolized stillness.

This was indeed a story documented in history. Just referencing this content could reveal some general outline.

However, the content that followed was somewhat different.

Combining the left hand and right hand into one.

Only this could maintain the state called 'present'.

Both sides' powers were balanced at this moment, naturally causing both to lose their 'abilities'.

"Cough, cough... puah!"

Seeing Ukitake directly spit out a mouthful of blood, Mayuri sighed lightly and slowly stepped forward.

He took out various previously prepared medicines from his pocket, now 'working on' Ukitake.

"Speaking of which, your chronic condition is really terrifying. Without the Soul King's power support, you would have died long ago, right? But at times like this, the power of science can also be highlighted..."

Watch me keep you alive!

The allocation between the two also had its reasoning.

And this was also the various preparations the Soul Reapers had made in advance.

Intelligence was shared.

Especially with Squad Zero having already appeared beforehand...

It could be said that the basic combat power of the Quincy side was already in an open state.

The guys who originally required great costs to deal with in the original story could now be handled after finding the correct countermeasures.

This was the importance of intelligence.

So why was the current situation still so chaotic?

Naturally because... Askin himself wasn't taken seriously by Squad Zero.

This group was more focused on Yhwach and the various components that had separated from the Soul King.

Seeing that Ukitake's blood-coughing trend had been curbed, Mayuri's smugness surged up again.

He secretly began praising his own prowess.

And at this moment began surveying the current situation.

—Although chaos was still continuing, this situation shouldn't last too long.

After all, this battle's power allocation could be said to be the most reasonable degree. Each guy who needed attention was given maximum restriction, preventing them from fully performing while...

Also pulling the situation toward a direction favorable to the Soul Reapers.

In other words.

Achieving victory at this moment seemed to be just a matter of time?

However, just as his thoughts settled.

Muffled groans from nearby made Mayuri turn his head.

He saw Kenpachi's figure falling from the sky like a broken kite... a thick blood mist floated around his body, as if he had been hit by some fatal wounds.

Kenpachi?

Why was that guy like this?

If I remember correctly, the target he was supposed to deal with should be...

"The guilty should die."

A voice filled with divinity descended from the sky.

He instinctively looked up.

Then saw a monster that had lost human form and become bird-shaped, now hovering in the sky.

Urahara and Yoruichi surrounded it. Sui-Feng, who had just rushed forward, was now also covering her missing right hand, sweating profusely.

Everyone looked battered and helpless against this guy's methods.

What was this?

If he wasn't mistaken... these people's opponent should be that Schutzstaffel member called Lille.

Was his strength this exaggerated?

Before he could speak, the transformed monster had already turned its head toward them.

"Using such petty tricks to exploit loopholes, truly deserving death."

He was being targeted!

Along with intense crisis covering his whole body, Mayuri's pupils also involuntarily dilated somewhat.

He could only see the opponent bring its right hand to its mouth, making a trumpet-like motion at this moment.

Then...

A violent humming descended from the sky.

Need to dodge... but he had no room to move.

At this critical moment, Nemu rushed up, dragging and pulling both captains away from their original position.

Pernida, unable to dodge in time, was completely hit.

The attack couldn't distinguish between friend and foe. The small Quincy was violently pressed down by invisible force, like flesh under a compressor, instantly becoming a blur.

Space seemed to completely collapse at this moment. The originally stable ground was harshly compressed, finally presenting a strange square pit like a block that had been forcibly extracted.

...?!

Could someone survive being hit by this thing?

After brief speechlessness, Urahara couldn't help but shout.

"Don't just stand there, dodge!"

As his words fell.

The originally sunken pit began to boil.

Along with hoarse roars, gray-white flesh spurted out like well water.

Skin and tendons connected to each other, like blooming cold flowers, now scattered across the ground... many who couldn't dodge in time were affected, only able to scream as they were devoured.

At the same time.

The originally stiff voice also became shrill and smug at this moment.

"Delicious, delicious, delicious!!!"

"You guys deserve what you get. Want to bully me, Pernida? Impossible!"

"Hehe, let's finish you all off like this!"

Watching the Soul King's hand that had already begun reorganizing, Mayuri couldn't help but frown.

Once the power symbolizing progress began moving.

The power symbolizing stillness could no longer stop it.

The previous plan was no longer useful.

"Really? So 'vulnerable'?"

Mayuri imperceptibly clicked his tongue.

It could only be said that there was indeed a gap in strength between both sides, which was somewhat expected.

They could only activate the backup plan.

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Powerstones?

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