Bleach: The Strongest Shinigami-Chapter 291 ⥤ Zanpakutō, Akira’s Trump Card

"Being played like a fool by my own disciple." Genryūsai looked up at the sky and sneered with disdain, "Yhwach, is this all you've got? A thousand years of slumber has eroded your wisdom. The current Quincy King is nothing more than a brute."

One by one, the Quincy broke free from their holy bonds, escaping their torment. Countless hate-filled gazes turned toward the source of the light rain.

In that moment, Yhwach lost the hearts of his people.

The few Quincy who remained unaffected by the holy light but continued to resist felt chills run through their bones at the sight.

"Kill the false emperor! Burn down the empire!" A voice from the crowd shouted, igniting a chorus of others.

The roars shook the heavens.

The Quincy loyal to Akira led the charge against Yhwach's blindly faithful followers. Their extraordinary fighting power grew even more fearsome.

Abandoning their Heilig Bogen, they switched to Blut Arterie for combat. Branch-like patterns emerged on their bodies as they charged toward the traitors, emanating a fierce aura.

The 11th Division members recognized this familiar fighting style — they saw their Captain's influence in these Quincy.

Indeed, only the Captain could have minimized Soul Society's losses while maintaining perfect control of the situation. While they had remained in the dark, their Captain had already infiltrated the enemy's ranks and risen to its highest position.

Truly, gold shines wherever it is placed. As expected of Captain Akira!

The battle resumed, now entirely one-sided.

The Quincy had suffered under Yhwach's rule for too long — now that freedom was within reach, they wouldn't let it slip away.

The old king is dead, long live the new king! The Wandenreich shall have but one emperor: Lord Hashirama Senju!

Watching the chaos unfold, Genryūsai's feelings grew complex.

Having fought in the war a thousand years ago, he understood these Quincy's true strength. Without Akira, the war's outcome would have remained uncertain.

This kid had transformed from a reckless brute into a worthy successor.

Once this war ends, I'll pass the position of Captain-Commander to him...

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Ultimate humiliation and disgrace!

Yhwach's eyes blazed bloodshot, his expression contorting into something even more terrifying than his already hideous face.

Betrayal upon betrayal!

Even Jugram, his most trusted subordinate, had turned against him.

And there before him stood the mastermind behind it all!

Yhwach's gaze turned ice-cold in an instant. His Reiatsu, thick as black mud, writhed around his body as visible patterns materialized in the surrounding space.

The Almighty activated once again — this time at full power. No one could stop his coming attack.

Not even the Soul King would be spared!

Having devoured the Soul King's body, he was now the supreme being of the Sangai, the new Soul King!

Instead of summoning his great Sankt Bogen, Yhwach instantly appeared before Akira, bringing his Quincy cross sword down in a direct strike!

Aizen's gaze sharpened as he activated Kyōka Suigetsu's ability once more.

But this time, Yhwach caught the traces of the illusion forming. As Reiatsu erupted, he saw into the future.

Kyōka Suigetsu had failed!

The Quincy cross sword met Akira's fist with devastating force. An explosion erupted, sending concentric circles rippling across the blue sky as a figure hurtled backward.

For once, Akira found himself at a disadvantage.

His muscular form crashed into the floating Zero Division residence. The massive structure shuddered violently before a fierce explosion tore away half of the enormous palace.

From the sidelines, Senjumaru watched with mild distress.

This was, after all, her palace — and a recent research project at that.

As for Akira, she felt no concern. This level of attack couldn't kill someone as resilient as him. Even the destruction of the entire Soul King Palace might not be enough to cause him harm.

A flash of intense light flared and died.

Yhwach seethed with unprecedented fury. Not even when Ichibē had outmaneuvered him, Chōjirō had ambushed him, or Genryūsai had "killed" him had he felt such rage.

A mere Shinigami had not only deceived him but turned his subordinates against him. Though such pawns were disposable, the humiliation of being deceived had shaken his composure.

The Quincy cross sword pierced through the dust toward Akira's body, only to meet with the clash of metal.

Black flames roared, vaporizing the surrounding ash.

When Yhwach finally saw his opponent's true form, his eyes widened involuntarily. Even with his Almighty, he struggled to comprehend the nature of the being before him.

⤫ Schrift: W ⥤ Sacred Letter: The World! ⤬

⤫ Vollständig: Azrael ⥤ Complete Holy Form: World of God! ⤬

⤫ Ultimate Convergence: Mugen Sekai no Hakai ⥤ Infinite World Destruction! ⤬

{T/N: The last one is a fusion with Hollowfication, Blut Armor and Shunkō}

Violent powers swirled around Akira's body — his heartbeat thundering like a drum, raw power radiating outward beyond his control.

In Yhwach's perception, Akira's Reiatsu kept rising exponentially, swiftly matching his own level — and showing no signs of stopping.

As if it had no upper limit!

A deep sense of dread crept into Yhwach's heart. He let out a roar as black Reiatsu writhed toward his Quincy cross sword, forcing his power even higher.

BOOM!!

As his blade fell, a Reishi storm erupted, engulfing the enormous Zero Division Palace in terrifying light that annihilated everything in its path. The rumbling shook reality itself as vast sections of space began to collapse.

"Having seized the Soul King's power, I am the Soul King." Yhwach stood in the sky, sword tip pointed downward, his tangible Reiatsu warping the very space around him, "Akira Kisaragi, your ambition ends here. Final victory belongs to me!"

A satisfied smile spread across his face, as if he'd glimpsed scenes of future triumph. His laughter echoed as more of the surrounding space crumbled away.

Aizen's expression shifted as he instantly released his Reiatsu. Within a moment, he grasped the terrible truth.

Without the Soul King as its linchpin, the Sangai had begun to collapse. Not just the Soul King Palace — Soul Society, the World of the Living, and even Hueco Mundo were affected. If they didn't stop Yhwach quickly, everything would end.

"Akira, stop playing around." Aizen took a deep breath and projected his voice directly to Akira's ear, "The Sangai doesn't have much time left. I'll assist you with Kyōka Suigetsu..."

Hearing this, Akira frowned and surveyed his surroundings.

The fabric of space was growing dangerously thin. Where the Soul King Palace's spatial barrier had once been as thick as steel plating, now it was barely holding together. Not just Yhwach — even Jugram could tear through it with raw power alone.

At this rate, if they didn't stop him, the Sangai would completely collapse, reverting to its primordial state.

Fortunately, he still had one trump card left. The Sangai would have to rely on him for salvation. Even with his unfilial son's incredible wisdom, they still needed his power.

Akira caught Aizen's eye in the distance and flashed a smug smile.

Aizen: "?"

What was this guy plotting now? Even at a time like this, he couldn't be serious?

"Bankai..."

Under Yhwach's puzzled gaze, Akira raised his Zanpakutō. His left hand brushed gently across the blade as black patterns emerged within its light.

What does this mean?

Has this boy gone mad? To place his hopes in such a lowly technique as Bankai?

Even Genryūsai Yamamoto, master of the Strongest Zanpakutō's Bankai, died miserably by my hand. How could a mere Bankai harm me, the Soul King?!

⤫ Bankai: Muga Kyōkai ⥤ Final Release: Selfless Realm! ⤬

As the release command rang out, Akira's Zanpakutō shattered with a crisp sound, dense cracks spreading instantly across its blade.

Watching this, Yhwach frowned, confusion evident on half his face as his viscous Reiatsu writhed frantically.

An overwhelming sense of unease gripped his heart. Something about this person's actions seemed to pose a genuine threat.

But how could that be possible?

Though he didn't understand how this man had become a transcendent being, even among transcendents there existed a hierarchy of power. His earlier predicament had merely been due to carelessness. Now, with The Almighty at full strength, no power in this world could harm him.

Not even if the Soul King himself were to rise again!

Kūkan Mukai shattered, releasing boundless light that enveloped Akira like a cocoon.

Heavy pulses echoed from within the light, eerily synchronizing with every heart present. Each beat made it feel as if their hearts might burst at any moment. frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

Yhwach was no exception.

Yet he dismissed this concern — the heart was merely an external thing. Even if shattered, he could reconstruct it instantly. His existence now transcended the physical; he had become a fundamental rule of the world. Only by breaking these rules could he truly die.

But no one in the world could accomplish that anymore.

No one...

Hum—

The light trembled, and from within emerged a figure both strange and familiar.

Blood-red eyes pierced through reality. Snow-white hair danced with supernatural grace. His form, carved from pure jade, radiated absolute perfection. His Reiatsu, vast and heavy beyond comprehension, pressed down on reality like an infinite ocean.

Akira stood with hands spread wide, his expression indifferent. An aura of universal compassion emanated from him naturally, even as his cold eyes fixed upon Yhwach.

"The world has become impure again."

Yhwach watched him vigilantly. This Akira was completely different from before.

Could a mere Bankai create such a dramatic change?

No matter — attack first, think later!

Killing intent blazed in his eyes as he vanished from sight. His blade, shrouded in black Reiatsu, materialized before Akira, poised to cleave him in two. The strike shattered vast sections of space, revealing the darkness within.

⤫ Muga Kyōkai, Daini Kōtei Rei: Tengoku Raikōken ⥤ Selfless Realm, Second Imperial Decree: Heaven Thunder Light Fist! ⤬

Just as Yhwach's slash approached, a thunderous punch shot forth. The strike obliterated the Quincy cross blade and, without losing momentum, smashed directly into Yhwach's chest.

BOOM!!

The explosion shook the heavens. Blood erupted in a fine mist as half of Yhwach's body disintegrated from the single blow.

Excruciating pain contorted Yhwach's features. His Reiatsu faltered, and his form hurtled away like a shooting star, vanishing at the horizon.

Akira pursued in a flash, unleashing a relentless assault.

Kisuke watched the brutal scene with a cold heart, shuddering. Even Jugram wore an expression of shock.

He had expected to cross swords with Yhwach himself, but instead, Akira had utterly dominated the fight — beating Yhwach so thoroughly he couldn't even raise his head. Or more precisely, his head had been completely obliterated.

Has he... awakened?

As this absurd thought crossed Kisuke's mind, he turned to Aizen.

"Lord Aizen, you must know something about this?"

If anyone in the Sangai truly understood Akira, it would be him. After all, he had conducted extensive research on that monster.

"Yes, I do." A flicker of shock passed behind Aizen's glasses as he spoke calmly, "Akira's Bankai differs from ours. More precisely, his Zanpakutō has always been unique. Mr. Urahara, you should understand this well."

Kisuke nodded.

During Akira's first use of the Tenshintai, his battle with the materialized Kūkan Mukai had nearly destroyed the entire barracks. Even in later attempts, though he showed improvement, he never fully mastered his Zanpakutō.

Yet his combat prowess could already overwhelm the entire Gotei 13. The inability to master his Zanpakutō at such a level seemed absurd.

"Remember Akira's Schrift?" Without waiting for Kisuke's reply, Aizen continued, "He awakened this ability without borrowing Yhwach's power — { W }, known as The World."

Jugram took a deep breath, recalling how he had helped Akira awaken his Schrift. Unlike other Quincy, the scene had been magnificent and extraordinary.

Aizen smiled, "His Schrift and Zanpakutō are both manifestations of his power. This Bankai is simply reclaiming that manifested power back to himself. If we must give it a name, we could call it — The World's Will!"

Kisuke and Jugram's pupils contracted as they exchanged glances, each seeing unmistakable shock in the other's face.

The history of the Soul King separating the Sangai was no secret. While most viewed the Soul King as an omniscient and omnipotent creator god, the world had existed long before his appearance.

The two snapped back to attention, turning toward the battle raging in the distance.

Akira's fierce grin made him look like a villain straight from legend. His muscular body tensed like a drawn bowstring as he threw his punch.

⤫ Muga Kyōkai, Daisan Kōtei Rei: Shinsei Kamihakai ⥤ Selfless Realm, Third Imperial Decree: Divine God Destruction! ⤬

Yhwach's newly formed body shattered into dust, his blood misting across the heavens...

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