Chapter Sixty-One: Burning, The End

The searing blade descended!

It was the weapon of the Flame Demon, capable of burning away the entire world.

And now, the one about to become a ghost beneath its edge—

Was the man who stood at the pinnacle of the Quincy.

"Tch..."

Faced with the swiftly approaching edge, Yhwach raised an arm clad in the full fortitude of his Blut Vene.

"Chhk!"

But unfortunately, though the defense of the Blut Vene was formidable—especially in the hands of the Quincy King—today, it faced another king, and the full force of his most desperate blow.

Arm and body alike, wherever the blistering blade struck, hot blood sprayed, steaming and crimson.

The defense of the Blut Vene proved as fragile and powerless as a sheet of white paper.

And what becomes of paper when it meets fire?

It burns. It burns to nothing...

"Thud."

Yhwach released his grip on his sword and swiftly retreated.

"Gah... gah..."

Clutching his wounded body with one hand, Yhwach panted heavily.

He was gravely wounded. After the Bankai, the force of the strike had indeed grown stronger, breaking through the Blut Vene's defense and dealing him a grievous blow.

But that was all.

Grievous, yes, but not fatal.

"To be honest, I am disappointed in you, Genkoku Yamamoto..."

Even with sweat streaming down his face, Yhwach still wore a triumphant smile.

"So this is the extent of your power after Bankai? I am disappointed. This can only mean..."

He sneered, "You're finished—along with the Soul Society."

"...Even on the brink of death, your arrogance knows no bounds."

Genkoku Yamamoto suddenly laughed.

"!"

"Do you not feel it?" Yamamoto took a step forward.

"The heat."

"!!!!"

It was a subtle sensation. Had Yamamoto not mentioned it, Yhwach might never have noticed. But once he did, terror gripped him.

The heat—blazing from the wound, as if astonishing flames were rising from within, burning him from the inside out.

"What... what did you do?!"

"Where do you think the flames of Ryūjin Jakka disappeared to?"

Yamamoto lifted his sword, its blade charred black, the original sheen barely visible beneath the scorched surface.

"All the fire was sealed within this blade—one swing, one ending."

"I have already swung my sword. So..."

Yamamoto's tone was calm, almost without a ripple.

"It is over, Yhwach."

"Curse you—argh!"

One swing, one ending.

Coupled with the burning pain in his body, Yhwach finally understood the power of Yamamoto's Bankai.

How terrifying! All the flames unleashed through the blade—meaning, if struck once, all would be finished.

So it was not the blade that burned, but himself.

"Fwoom!"

Flames erupted from the wound, engulfing Yhwach's small figure.

"......"

Yamamoto watched the flames before him, uncertain when they would fade, and fell silent.

It was truly over...

"Your Majesty!"

Three figures leapt from behind Yamamoto.

Saidritz, Algora, Schubert.

The top three captains of the Silver Cross Knights appeared suddenly, launching a surprise attack at Yamamoto's unguarded back.

"You old fool, how dare you—"

"If His Majesty is harmed, I'll tear you to pieces!"

"Die!"

"So, you too have such loyal subordinates?" Yamamoto did not so much as turn his head, as if speaking only to himself.

"How fitting..."

At last, he turned, his eyes coldly, emotionlessly fixed on the three above.

"Let them be your companions in death."

"Whoosh!"

"!!!"

The flames that had erupted from Yhwach suddenly swelled, as if possessed of a will, engulfing the three men, not even allowing them time to cry out—so domineering was its force.

In an instant, all three vanished without a trace in the explosive inferno.

"Sizzle... crackle..."

Sparks drifted down from above, landing on Yamamoto's body, only to flicker and die away.

His gaze was filled with complexity.

Loneliness? Indifference? Sorrow?

Even Yamamoto himself could not say what he felt now.

The endless flames continued to burn, yet never touched his form.

"Drip... drip... drip, drip..."

The charred color faded from Yamamoto's blade, returning it to its original Zanpakutō form. At the same moment, dark clouds gathered overhead, and rain began to fall.

A long-lost coolness swept through the Soul Society. The heat of the Ryūjin Jakka gradually vanished, as if it had never existed, and the climate of the Soul Society returned to what it once was.

Rain fell, and the blackening of the blade slowly faded as well.

Was it the rain that washed away the blade's charred hue, or the fading of that hue that allowed the rain to return?

No—it did not matter, did it?

Victory was already his.

The fire still burned, but its strength was waning; in Yamamoto's eyes, it was truly over.

"Vmm!"

"!"

Behind the flames, a black portal suddenly appeared, as if it could swallow everything, bottomless and absolute.

"I have lost, Genkoku Yamamoto."

Yhwach's voice came from within the flames, weary but lacking the bitterness or surrender expected of a defeated man.

"But this is not the end."

At last, the flames vanished entirely, revealing Yhwach's body—severely burned, blackened, scarcely a patch of unscathed flesh remaining, yet his eyes still blazed with spirit and resolve, locked unyieldingly on Yamamoto.

"This time, I will withdraw."

"In your dreams."

Yamamoto gripped his sword—he would not allow a vanquished foe to leave before him!

"Clack."

Yhwach released something from his hand—several short rods fell to the ground.

"Whoosh!"

The rods sank instantly into the soil, radiating ripples across the ground.

From where the ripples passed, countless ropes emerged, binding Yamamoto securely. Not even the flames of Ryūjin Jakka could break them.

"Today, neither of us can kill the other. For now, let this be the end between us."

Yhwach stepped into the black portal, waiting to be swallowed by its darkness.

"What you have gained is far more than victory alone."

He curled his lips in a faint smile. Even though he had lost, Yamamoto must also have lost something most precious—he would know regret, anger, and sorrow. If so, then the next time they met...

"Farewell, Genkoku Yamamoto."

The black portal closed, and his presence vanished from before Yamamoto.

The end?

No.

Yamamoto knew it in his heart.

This was only the beginning.