Makoto crouched on the rooftop, looking down at Yhwach.

Saito, whose breaths had grown faint, believing herself fearless of death, found her breathing quicken. Her gaze toward Makoto betrayed a flicker of tension and urgency.

She opened her mouth, blood gushing forth, her single eye's pupil constricting sharply.

This idiot!?

At the same moment, as his voice rang out, Yhwach recognized the man on the rooftop.

"Makoto Fujimiya...?" Yhwach's hoarse voice fell, his eyes beneath his long hair shifting to the three mangled corpses below.

Adalbert, Liestya, Metalica.

All defeated by him alone?

The realization flashed through Yhwach's mind.

Makoto stepped forward.

A gust of wind stirred.

Perhaps an illusion, but for a fleeting instant, Yhwach felt a chill like a blade grazing his skin, sharp with killing intent.

Instinctively, he raised his reishi sword to his chest.

When Makoto's figure reappeared, he had already darted past Yhwach.

In his arms was Saito's broken, blood-soaked form.

They brushed past each other.

So fast.

The thought flickered through Yhwach's mind, but his body reacted faster, swinging his blade.

The reishi sword traced a ribbon-like airflow in the air.

Yet, Makoto's Zanpakutō, Oharai Gougi, struck faster, their blades clashing.

"Clang!"

The metal collision tore a piercing buzz through the air.

Yhwach's brow furrowed, his strength surging several times over.

Blue Reishi waves exploded like a misty sea at their blades' intersection, the violent ripples carving a straight path forward.

Makoto, holding Saito's broken body with one arm, steadily parried with his blade. His feet dragged back dozens of meters along the path of the clash, leaving two long trails in the ground.

His stance remained unyielding as a mountain.

"You've grown stronger again?" Yhwach's cold gaze fixed on him, his memory lingering on their last encounter before the armies, a brash, perverse punk.

Though he didn't acknowledge Makoto's humanity, if he recalled correctly, this man had only tier-3 reiatsu then.

Now, he was at least tier-2... nearing tier-2.

More crucially, in every vision of his "Almighty," Makoto's presence was absent.

This 'unknown' sparked an uncontrollable wariness in Yhwach, his gaze tinged with sharp killing intent.

"Makoto Fujimiya. What are you?"

Makoto, cradling Saito, met Yhwach's eyes without a flicker, smirking. "Isn't your power the Almighty? Take a look with those invincible eyes of yours."

"Or... have you already lost them?"

Even though his greatest secret was revealed, Yhwach remained calm

Compared to a man invisible to the Almighty, or even knowing his fated death, this revelation stirred little in him.

But how did he know?

Makoto. This man harbored too many secrets.

No matter. Words were useless now.

Killing him would render all mysteries meaningless.

Yhwach pointed his reishi sword at Makoto. "You know quite a bit."

"Then you must also know... about my strength."

Even the flippant Makoto's eyes betrayed a trace of gravity.

He turned, pointing Oharai Gougi forward.

Before he could speak, a faint tug pulled at his collar.

Makoto looked down.

Saito, held in his arms, was at her physical and mental limit from blood loss.

Yet, with her last strength, her remaining arm clutched his collar.

Her blood blade, gripped until death, now lay silently by Makoto's feet.

"...Makoto," her voice, tinged with an unprecedented softness, carried a near-pleading tone as blood trickled from her lips. "Run."

"I'm satisfied."

Her strength was nearly gone.

Makoto couldn't tell if her 'satisfaction' meant seeing him one last time or staking her life in the ultimate battle and accepting defeat.

But at this moment, her words held no meaning to him.

It was the first time he'd seen such a gentle smile on Saito's face.

His tone turned uncharacteristically firm. "Satisfied? Run?"

"The Saito I know isn't a woman who'd say such weak things."

Hearing his steady voice, Saito struggled to lift her head, meeting his profile, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

Right.

This was Makoto, alright.

"Besides," he continued, "to see someone I care about cut to pieces and just turn and run? If I did that, I'd rather die now."

As his words fell, Makoto looked up, locking eyes with Yhwach.

Saito froze, gazing at him quietly.

Her blood loss worsened; with her remaining Reiatsu, she couldn't even use Shikai to control her blood or suppress her wounds with Reishi.

Her heartbeat slowed.

Yet, perhaps because of this, the usually shy girl didn't look away, staring directly at him.

"You should've said so sooner, idiot," she thought, her slowing heart sinking into a boundless abyss, her thoughts fading.

But... it was wonderful.

As her pupils dimmed, a gentle smile lingered on her face.

Makoto watched silently.

"Not going to put her down?" Yhwach asked, expressionless. "She's dead."

Makoto ignored him, raising Oharai Gougi's black blade toward Saito's body.

"Pursuing the cause and invert the consequence..."

"Sakuingyakuka!"

As his voice fell, Yhwach's gaze flickered with shock.

The moment Makoto pointed his blade at Saito, a translucent, shadowy figure appeared behind her, steeped in heavy deathly aura.

It was as if the shadow embodied death itself.

Makoto's gaze remained calm.

[Bond Trait X: Sakuingyakuka – At a cost, erase an existing reality (integrated into Zanpakutō abilities).]

This time, Makoto aimed to erase Saito's 'death.'

His blade tip aimed at the shadowy figure behind her, slicing cleanly.

Buzz!

The black blade cut smoothly.

The shadow trembled violently, like rippling water, emitting a piercing screech. Its crimson eyes locked onto Makoto, as if cursing him with the world's malice.

But against his blade, it was powerless.

As the shadow dissipated and the dust settled, Yhwach stared at Saito's 'corpse.'

Her grievous wounds, which had left her a husk, were fully healed.

Though her skin remained pale and ashen, the deathly aura was gone.

She lay quietly, her breathing faint but steady.

As if she had merely fallen asleep.

Realizing this, Yhwach's gaze toward Makoto lost all trace of its initial disdain.

Faintly, he even felt a sense of facing a formidable foe.

Reversing life and death...?

Makoto, having completed the act, turned to Yhwach.

Before he could speak, torrents of crimson blood gushed from his nose and mouth, coating his jaw.

"The cost... is my sense of smell," he thought. "Lucky."

Wiping the blood from his nose, Makoto considered that, with Yhwach still to face, he'd save restoring Saito's limbs for later.

He needed his strength to take down this enemy.

[Love Event: Bond of Life and Death]

[You and Saito have entered a romantic bond! ↑]

[First Love Reward: Reiatsu Level +1 (can break tier-2 limit)]

[Acquired Love Trait: Bond of Life and Death]

[Reiatsu: Tier-2 Upper → Tier-1 Lower]

[Love Trait: Bond of Life and Death – At the edge of life and death, someone's soul will bless and protect you.]

[Detailed Effect: When near death, 50% chance to nullify all death outcomes, 45% chance to nullify all critical injuries, with luck probability locked higher than the opponent's.]

Unlike Reiatsu levels forcibly raised by talent points, this event-granted power integrated seamlessly into Makoto's control, like an instinct. He effortlessly harnessed the surging Reiatsu spilling from within.

The gap between tier-2 and tier-1 was just one level, but only by wielding this power could one truly grasp its magnitude.

From this moment, Makoto stepped into the pinnacle of the Soul Society's elite.

He glanced at Saito, her breathing now steady, and his restless heart calmed.

Then, his gaze locked back onto Yhwach.

"What? Planning to run already?" Yhwach's voice was flat, but laced with a taunting edge.

Even the 'Almighty' himself might not know if he spoke from doubt about defeating Makoto.

Makoto laughed coldly, his gaze growing icy. "You think... after cutting my people to pieces, you can just walk away?"

Yhwach's voice, devoid of emotion, countered like cold steel: "And what can you do alone?"

Makoto stared, each word deliberate: "That's obvious..."

[It's to cleave you in half! Crush you! Turn you into my personal trophy!!]

[From now on, you'll live as a black-haired, cat-eared, tailed loli for eternity!]

[Until you're defeated a hundred times, I won't forgive you!]

Oharai Gougi's voice roared with unprecedented fury, its childish tone shrill and piercing.

Every sentence was laced with chaos!

Yhwach's expression froze, then his gaze toward Makoto turned wary.

Considering his ability to reverse death...

Was this guy serious?

Imagining it, Yhwach's body tensed, his hand snapping to his side.

"Crack!" He seized his severed arm from the ground, pressing it to the stump.

"Heal!"

As his words fell, blue light flared between arm and shoulder.

The arm Saito had sacrificed her life to sever was, to Yhwach, not even a minor wound.

Yet, before the fight began, Yhwach's shift in attitude spoke volumes.

He could tell.

In that voice, this man was utterly sincere!

No hesitation in launching an all-out assault on a grizzled middle-aged man!

Clearly, to this man, distinctions like gender, age, human, Hollow, or beast held no meaning!

A true, unhinged maniac!

He absolutely, positively could not become a black-haired, cat-eared, tailed loli!

Sweat beaded on Yhwach's brow, his focus razor-sharp.

Never in his life had he been this serious.

The consequence of failure was too dire!

***

Hi guys, I hope you're all doing well! I want to share that I'm currently working on a new project related to Lord of Mysteries.

If you're interested, feel free to visit my profile and start reading. Below is a brief summary:

[Lord of Mysteries: Incarnation of Chaos]

Have you ever wondered what would happen if someone from a Lovecraftian world got isekai'd into another world built on Lovecraftian themes? Well, it's absolute chaos.

Meet Alaric, a human(questionably) survivor of the madness and chaos caused by a certain crawling chaos, who, thanks to the kindness of a certain bubble daddy, got isekai'd into the "fake it till you make it" world.

What will he do in this strange new world? Climb the ladder of power to become that impossible god unless you're just a pawn of a certain russian priest or a certain goth mommy?

Or become a cheshire cat, leaping onto the 4D chessboard to disrupt the schemes and mind games of these bizarre folks?

For Alaric, it's not a tough choice. But before he picks either path, he must, of course, uphold the time-honored tradition of isekai'd victims(questionably) that forms the foundation of this world.

What's that tradition?

Keeping a diary.

---

[Alaric's Transmigration Diary]

[Day 1: I encountered Amon. Used a special technique to summon a projection of the Ancient Sun God, who personally delivered a heavy slap to Amon. Hope Amon appreciates this weighty paternal affection.]

[Day 2: I received an invitation from the Aurora Order. Told them I want it all... looks, brains, and combat prowess... and invited them to join my newly founded Joker Club.]

[Day 3: I met Leonard and acknowledged Gramps Pallez. Declined Leonard's enthusiastic suggestion for the old man to move in with me, as I'd rather not have a old man critiquing my every move, even in private moments.]

[Day 4: I told Klein I plan to pray to a deity named The Fool. Watched his eyes widen in shock and kindly offered him some eye drops.]

[Day 5: I listened to Medici perform a two-hour comedy routine. Suggested he go professional and invited him to share a meal.]

.

.

.

[Day 666: I fully absorbed a certain crawling chaos fragment within me. From now on, I am the Fifth Pillar.]