Chapter 427

2-in-1 chapter:

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The once-loose haori suddenly burst with dazzling spiritual pressure, spreading out completely.

In Lille Barro’s astonished gaze, the brand-new haori with the symbol for “One” swallowed all twenty-four of his golden beams like an abyss.

“Impossible!”

Lille Barro cried out in shock.

How could his All-Piercing be swallowed so easily?!

Standing closest to that force, Yamamoto felt the true nature of the devouring power.

After Kaelith had taken the position of Captain-Commander, there was a day when that wayward disciple suddenly came knocking.

Looking drowsy, Kaelith carried one of his own haori.

“Teacher, let’s swap clothes.”

“?”

Yamamoto looked at him with suspicion.

Kaelith grinned and said:

“Now that you’ve stepped down as Captain-Commander, you’ll be serving as a proper headmaster at Shin’ō Academy. You’ll definitely be appearing before students more often.

“If they saw you wearing such a ragged, tattered old haori, they’d think the Gotei 13 was broke.

“Your disciple here isn’t exactly wealthy either, but I’ve got more than enough haori… Come on, let’s swap. You wear mine, and I’ll take yours!”

Before Yamamoto could refuse, Kaelith snatched the haori from him and slipped his own onto Yamamoto’s shoulders.

Yamamoto was nearly amused to anger.

“You fool! Why would I wear this haori after leaving the First Division?

“And if you want me in a new one, at least give me something that fits! You’re nearly a head taller than me—how does it make sense for me to wear yours?!”

Hearing this, Kaelith blinked, clearly not having considered that point.

Then he laughed and brushed it off.

“It’s settled, Teacher. From now on, you have to wear this haori of mine—no changing it for anyone else’s.

“If you do, I’ll head to the Academy and spill every embarrassing story from your time in the Gotei to the students!”

He cackled, turned, and walked off, yawning as he went.

Watching his wayward disciple’s back, Yamamoto felt a bit puzzled.

Wasn’t this brat dumping all his work on Aizen and Urahara? Even Jūshirō was occasionally dragged in as extra manpower.

Where did he get any work that left him so tired he yawned while walking?

With questions still in his mind, Yamamoto looked at the haori in his hands.

Then he gave a huff of laughter and put it on.

……

Now, feeling the power erupting from within the haori, Yamamoto finally understood what Kaelith had done.

The power inside was Kaelith’s rule-based ability.

He had searched across every parallel world in advance, finding the possibilities where, at the moment Yamamoto was struck with a fatal blow, the attack would fail to take effect.

To gather as many possibilities as possible and store the power within the haori, that brat had worn himself out.

Looking at the haori, now drained of light after expending all its power, Yamamoto drew in a deep breath.

Above, Lille Barro suddenly felt a chill down his back.

The figure standing between him and Shin’ō Academy had become terrifying beyond belief.

What was going on…

What had just happened?!

As he stared, Yamamoto lifted his head, his cold eyes fixing on him.

“The precious gift my foolish disciple gave me—you ruined it, you stupid bird.”

“In that case, pay with your life.”

“Bankai!!”

A terrifying wave of heat exploded outward from Yamamoto, instantly spreading across all of Seireitei!

The moisture in the air evaporated on the spot.

Every Shinigami and Quincy locked in battle felt the painful dryness in their throats.

But there was a difference:

The Shinigami, sensing this power, all revealed confident smiles.

The Quincies—those who had felt it before—showed nothing but nervous fear.

“Zanka no Tachi!!”

Gripping the charred Zanpakutō, Yamamoto’s figure flashed, appearing behind Lille Barro.

Barro spread his wings, preparing to fire golden beams to stop Yamamoto.

But before his attack could even launch, his entire body froze in midair.

Shhhk!

A slanted slash appeared across his body.

The next second, in his horrified scream, blazing flames gushed out from the wound!

Together with them, countless golden particles sprayed outward!

“Gaaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!”

Lille Barro’s agonized shriek echoed across the sky!!

……......................

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“What… exactly happened?!”

Ichigo flew upward, staring in shock into the distance.

Today, he had come to the Soul Society with Kurosaki Masaki, bringing along his two younger sisters to visit the Shiba clan.

The Shiba had received the Kurosaki family with great warmth.

Shiba Kaien and Shiba Miyako had personally gone to the Senkaimon to welcome them.

Although Masaki was their elder, as the head and matriarch of the family, they weren’t required to do so—but the Shiba clan had never been strict about such formalities.

And both of them held immense respect for Kurosaki Masaki.

She had grown up in a Quincy household, yet in the war between Shinigami and Hollows, she had bravely stood up, and in the end even built a family with a Shinigami.

If it had been them, Miyako wasn’t sure she could have done the same.

Beyond respect, she also had a favor to ask of Kurosaki Masaki.

After everything she had gone through, she was finally pregnant.

As a first-time mother, everything felt tense and unfamiliar.

Compared to her, Kurosaki Masaki—already the mother of three children—was an unbeatable senior, an expert in this regard.

Taking advantage of Masaki’s visit to the Soul Society this time, she was determined to ask her thoroughly about all the things a pregnant woman needed to pay attention to!

To host the Kurosaki family, Shiba Miyako even bought high-class sweets she normally would never buy and studied etiquette from the World of the Living in advance.

On this, Shiba Kaien couldn’t help but sigh.

This woman had never been so attentive, even for herself.

As for Kurosaki Ichigo, Kaien grew more and more satisfied.

Compared to his unreliable uncle, Ichigo was practically the very definition of dependable.

He resolved to cultivate Ichigo well and hand over the Shiba family to him as soon as possible!

Just as the family was happily conversing, an alarm suddenly rang through the sky.

Hearing the sound, Kaien’s face changed. He immediately grabbed the Zanpakutō by his side.

Ichigo also snatched up his Zanpakutō and followed his cousin out of the house.

The moment they stepped outside, they ran into a large force of Quincy troops.

All along the streets, battles between Shinigami and Quincy could be seen!

Several Quincy spotted the two of them, drew their bows, and fired without a word.

“Wait, we—”

Ichigo started to speak, but Kaien had already rushed forward.

With a single flash of his blade, the Quincies fell.

Kaien’s voice boomed:

“Ichigo! It’s the Wandenreich! They’ve come!”

“Hurry—go help the Captain-Commander! I’ll protect here!”

Masaki came running out of the house.

Seeing the scene before her, she pressed her lips together.

Ever since the day Yhwach had stolen her powers, she had known this moment was bound to come.

Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly sensed the spiritual pressure of Shiba Isshin from afar.

Her eyes grew firm:

“Kaien, stay here and protect Miyako and Karin.”

“Ichigo, go help Kaelith—follow his and Aizen’s commands!”

With that, she stepped onto Shunpo and shot off in Isshin’s direction!

Watching Masaki’s departing back, Shiba Miyako felt a surge of emotion.

A woman—should be like this!

Ichigo soared into the sky, feeling out the spiritual pressures across Seireitei.

As expected, Kaelith’s location was where the fluctuations were strongest.

Without hesitation, he prepared to charge—

But at that moment, a figure suddenly blocked his way.

Looking at the golden-haired, melancholic-looking man before him, Ichigo frowned slightly.

“Who are you!”

Facing the orange-haired youth before him, Haschwalth furrowed his brows slightly.

He had originally been on his way to the First Division to aid Yhwach.

But midway, he had sensed a threatening presence, so he diverted here to see for himself.

Unlike in the original timeline, the Wandenreich he belonged to had never dared make contact with the Soul Society, thanks to Kaelith’s constant surveillance from the shadows.

If they tried to secretly observe the Soul Society and Kaelith noticed, it would spell their doom.

As a result, the Wandenreich’s intelligence on the Soul Society was still stuck at the level of over a hundred years ago.

Of Kurosaki Ichigo, he knew nothing at all.

The only thing he did know was that this boy was dangerous.

He spoke slowly: “Jugram Haschwalth.”

“That is my name.”

“My duty is as His Majesty’s protector.”

His Majesty’s protector?

Ichigo blinked slightly.

“You mean Yhwach’s?”

“Yes.”

Haschwalth nodded, making no effort to correct the boy for addressing His Majesty by name.

Under his gaze, Ichigo drew the Zanpakutō from his back.

“So, if I defeat you, I’ll be able to help Mr. Kaelith, right?”

“…That, I cannot guarantee.”

If he were defeated, His Majesty would simply use Auswählen to strip him of his powers, making His Majesty even stronger.

For Kaelith, that might actually be a hindrance instead.

Though an enemy, Haschwalth still refrained from lying whenever possible.

Ichigo’s expression showed doubt.

He didn’t understand why Haschwalth would answer like that, but Kaelith had told him before—when you don’t understand, just act first.

“My name is Kurosaki Ichigo.”

Out of courtesy, he gave his name.

The next moment, his body flashed forward, rushing straight at Haschwalth—

“Bankai!!”

“Getsuga Tenshō!!”

In Haschwalth’s startled gaze, a black crescent exploded in midair, unleashing a massive storm of spiritual pressure!

Slash!!

Haschwalth was blown back.

His white long coat was torn and ragged.

Though he had been prepared for a difficult battle, truly feeling Kurosaki Ichigo’s strength still left him shocked.

This boy was too strong.

With such terrifying offensive power, even compared to Yamamoto, he was by no means inferior!

Drawing a silver sword from beneath his robe, he intercepted Ichigo’s second wave of attacks.

Ichigo’s Zanpakutō no longer resembled the charred black cleaver it had at first.

Through communication with the old man inside him and his white counterpart, his power had changed every few years.

Now, his Bankai form looked much like his Shikai—an enormous butcher’s blade.

Despite its massive size, its speed was anything but slow.

Blocked once, Ichigo immediately switched to a one-handed grip, unleashing a frenzied barrage—an onslaught so swift it should have been impossible for such a heavy blade.

Countless sword shadows surged like a falling sky, surrounding Haschwalth.

Each strike carried the destructive force of a captain-level Shinigami at full release.

Haschwalth reversed his grip and met them with equally rapid counters, deflecting from every angle.

It had been so long since he’d been pressed like this by a single opponent.

The last time, he was still a boy, sparring with a childhood companion.

A faintly strange feeling rose in his chest.

Then a sudden sense of danger flashed in his mind.

Under his astonished gaze, Ichigo—still attacking wildly—suddenly swiped his left hand across his face.

A pale Hollow mask appeared instantly!

“Shirosaki, give me a hand!”

“You don’t need to say it!!”

Ichigo’s voice carried two overlapping tones as the mask formed.

Before Haschwalth could react, Ichigo’s aura shifted sharply.

The calm, steady presence turned fervent, feverish.

“Hyah-hyah-hyah-hyah!!!”

A twisted laugh burst from Ichigo’s mouth as he gripped the butcher’s blade with both hands and swung it down in a crushing strike.

Haschwalth raised his sword to block.

A thunderous impact rang out, and numbness shot through his entire arm.

What had happened to this guy… all of a sudden?

No. He couldn’t keep letting Ichigo dictate the pace.

Resolving himself, he put in more strength.

Yet Ichigo hadn’t even been using his full power.

The moment Haschwalth sped up, Ichigo matched him instantly.

“Heh-heh-heh! Fool! You think you can be faster than me?!”

Laughing, Ichigo seized the cloth strip at the end of his Zanpakutō, spinning the massive butcher’s blade with a sudden burst of acceleration.

In less than a second of gathered momentum, he brought the blade crashing down at Haschwalth—

Boom!!!!

The explosion, even greater than the previous Getsuga Tenshō, blasted out a massive circular shockwave, expanding for several kilometers in all directions!

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