You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

Because if it's not... then it'll be even more troublesome!

"You seem very unwilling to accept the reality before you."

The man's lips curled up, and his gaze as he looked at Hayato Shiba was full of amusement.

Hayato Shiba fell silent, took a deep breath, and then held his knife in one hand towards the man.

At this point, finding his family was no longer his top priority. Instead, he wanted to take advantage of his remaining strength to perish together with the enemy before him!

"You were wary of me, but even after seeing my true face and guessing my identity, you still maintained your fighting spirit... You dared to draw your sword against me at such close range. Putting aside your stupidity for now, let's just acknowledge your courage."

"State your name! I am Hayato Shiba, the 39th head of the Shiba family!"

"Haha! Who do you think you're talking to?"

The man walked up to Jin and flung his cloak aside with a flourish.

"I am the creator of the Quincy, the source of their bloodline, the original master of this world, and the destined king!"

Descendants of the usurper, does that name still linger in the memory of your vile bloodline?

【Yhwabach】!

hum! ! !

A heavy spiritual pressure, like a flood, descended, and the entire Rukongai felt an unparalleled majesty descending from the sky. The pebbles on the ground trembled slightly, as if the world itself was terrified.

We can't win!

Hayato Shiba instantly realized the difference in strength between the two:

Even in the "Last Moon's" perfect sword-and-dagger state, he couldn't win!

Regardless of their individual special abilities, combat strength is ultimately measured by spiritual pressure. No matter how strong an ability is, it is just a castle in the air without the support of spiritual pressure.

An existence like Yamamoto represents the limit that a single soul can reach, but the "Yhwach" he encountered today is an existence capable of overturning the laws of nature.

However, this is not surprising at all, because the other party was a king who once ruled the three realms a thousand years ago and almost destroyed everything!

"I never imagined I'd be fighting a legendary figure... He's ridiculously powerful."

Hayato Shiba suddenly appeared behind Yhwach, his speed far exceeding that of ordinary Shunpo.

The Quincy King barely sensed the unusual spiritual pressure behind him before the silver blade was already aimed at his heart—

Clang!

Zheng!

The two figures were like poor-quality film images, leaving only afterimages that vanished in an instant, with a few drops of blood and strands of hair falling into the air.

Blood slowly seeped from Shiba Hayato's left shoulder, but he didn't bother to check his injury. His eyes were fixed on Yhwach, his shock evident in his expression.

Blue spiritual patterns appeared on Yhwach's palm, as if his physical body had been transformed into some kind of indestructible material, and he had actually deflected Hayato's slash!

This is too outrageous... Even the King of the Quincy shouldn't be like this!

"Is it weird?"

Yhwach raised his hand and unleashed a massive spiritual arrow that pierced through Rukongai with terrifying power, extending into the wilderness beyond. It was unclear whether it had affected the next block.

That rampant spiritual pressure completely destroyed a corner of this commoner's home!

"A frog at the bottom of a well, no matter how ambitious it may be, can never truly understand the distance between itself and the moon."

"Perhaps... but it is definitely within reach, and this is by no means wishful thinking!"

Shiba smiled freely, and the blade shone with a dazzling light. Then, a surge of spiritual pressure burst forth, remaining strong even under Yhwach's suppression, as stubborn as a reef in a stormy sea.

"Looking Up at the Moon, Soaring Through the Heavens!"

Amidst the surging wind pressure, the radiance of spiritual energy enveloped Hayato Shiba's entire body, while his rugged Zanpakuto gradually became slender in the light.

Zheng!

With a sword cry, the silvery-white spiritual pressure was compressed into a thin crescent moon, so thin that the atmosphere seemed to be unable to sense its existence, and it shot out without any hindrance.

However, as the crescent moon moved forward, the atmosphere and the ground separated.

There was no earth-shattering sound, only a "smooth solution," as if the crack had always been there—

Even the light and shadow, and the space itself, are out of place!

"The last crescent moon? I vaguely remember seeing it once when I was young. It really brings back memories."

Yhwach extended his right hand from beneath his cloak, unleashing a black, cleaver-like blade that blocked the attack head-on.

However, upon contact, the compressed spiritual pressure erupted instantly, engulfing the handsome young man in intense white light and shockwaves.

"Shell Static Blood Suit!"

Yhwach's body was enveloped by a protective shield crackling with countless arcs of electricity, and then an even larger spell enveloped the entire street.

"This is the death knell tolled for you—[Sanctuary Hymn]!"

"I'll accept the key to the Spirit King's Palace!"

Chapter 487 Captain Aizen rushes to the rescue from afar!

Yhwach's appearance was a source of despair for Hayato Shiba, but he did not give up and instead fought back. However, how much of an obstacle his resolve would pose to Yhwach was another matter entirely...

Meanwhile, a dozen or so Rukongai districts away, in the imposing and towering Seireitei, the white-haired old man in the Kuchiki Mansion suddenly opened his eyes.

"Is this spiritual pressure... Hayato from the Shiba family?"

A look of shock flashed in Kuchiki Ginryo's eyes. Even though he was usually composed, he was still shaken at this moment.

Not long after, another wave of spiritual pressure, though much stronger, came from the same direction. Through the window, a silver-white beam of light shot out from the distant horizon and soared into the sky, as if tearing the entire sky apart and instantly dispelling all the clouds.

"They actually used such a secret technique... Does that mean there was no hope of victory without it?"

A moment later, the pillar of light gradually disappeared, and thousands of spiritual particles drifted down. The spiritual pressure fluctuation that Yinling was familiar with also completely disappeared, causing him to feel a pang of heartache.

The usually composed and taciturn man's expressionless face showed a look of bewilderment and sorrow.

As members of the five great noble families, Kuchiki and Shiba had a fairly good relationship. This was because the Shiba family was not large and had a relatively fast generational change. Kuchiki Ginrei knew three heads of the Shiba family in his life, and Hayato was someone he had watched grow up since childhood, making him a true nephew or niece.

Sojun was in poor health, and there were no other outstanding individuals in the Kuchiki main branch. The important task of captain could not be entrusted to an ordinary person. Before Iori appeared, Kuchiki Ginrei had considered having Shiba Hayato temporarily take charge of the Sixth Division, and then taking it back once a successor appeared in the Kuchiki family.

—In this regard, only the Shiba family is trustworthy; otherwise, you can't really rely on Tsunayoshi.

In short, Hayato holds a very important place in Ginrei's heart.

Now forced to use forbidden techniques, his fate is uncertain... Yinling is also unusually flustered.

"Is it Was Vastod or..."

For a moment, Yinling couldn't think of anyone who could have driven Shiba Hayato to this point. The few named individuals were all part of the 13th Division and wouldn't be able to fight the Shiba family.

"If Hayato has already sacrificed himself, then the Soul King Palace will be..."

What worries Yinling even more is the "fundamental mission" of the Zhibo family.

Just as the Shihouin family safeguards many sacred artifacts and the Tsuna-Yayo family manages the Great Library, the Shiba family, as one of the five great noble families, also has its own mission, which is directly related to the Soul King.

—They possess a secret technique that allows direct access to the Spirit King's Palace!

The Shiba family plays a crucial role in Soul Society, ensuring its survival even in the most dangerous moments, because no matter what happens, Seireitei must guarantee its ability to contact the Soul King Palace!

It should be noted that the Seireitei and the Soul King's Palace are physically isolated, and cannot even be reached through interdimensional portals. Under normal circumstances, neither side could provide timely support should something happen.

If Seireitei is invaded by foreign enemies and is unable to resist, or if something unexpected happens at the Soul King Palace, the secret techniques possessed by the Shiba family will be their only hope!

In other words, this family is a safety net for everyone, and only the Shiba family has this credibility that everyone can entrust with, including Tsuna Yayo, who has never made a fuss about this.

This is why, no matter how unstable the Seireitei was before, the Chamber of 46 never allowed the Shiba family to appear in the Hueco Mundo campaign—most of Tsunayoshiro had already been killed, and it would be unbearable to throw another one in.

(This also shows that no matter how much Shiba declines, its position will not be shaken.)

Now that Shiba has been attacked and even the head of the family is missing... if the secret technique fails, the problem will be huge!

"My lord!"

"Gather all the clan members and the entire Sixth Division, prepare for battle, and await orders."

Yinling stepped outside with a serious expression: "The police station has ANBU. Also, notify Shihōin to go to Rukongai and find the members of the Shiba family. Protect them no matter what. This is the top priority. Do you understand?"

"Yes!"

……

In the present world, Edo Castle.

Clang!

The sharp Zanpakuto severed the spirit light blade and mercilessly pierced the body of the person before it, blood gushing out and instantly staining Iori's entire body red.

Iori remained unfazed, forcefully lifting her right arm and raising the Quincy hanging from her sword into the air.

"Ugh, pfft!"

The blade sliced ​​through the muscle, scraping against the bone with a piercing sound. Biological instinct made the Quincy, who was still breathing, grip the blade tightly with both hands, but it was to no avail. He only hesitated for a moment before his body was easily sliced ​​open like tofu by the force of gravity.

"It's a little bloody," Iori said, wiping away the blood with her sword, feeling slightly displeased.

Around him lay more than twenty Quincy soldiers lying haphazardly, all of whom had been killed by his subordinates. The man before him was a minor leader, but he too could not hold out for long.

The battle took place in a corner of Edo Castle, which was originally quite prosperous, but was recently occupied by Quincy who used barrier techniques to turn it into their base without anyone noticing.

Now, they have been discovered by the Grim Reaper and launched a fierce attack on a dark and stormy night.

War is cruel, especially when the two sides are vastly different in strength. The Quincy had no ability to resist. If it weren't for the fact that the other side was still thinking about capturing a few prisoners, they would probably have been wiped out.

"I don't understand, what's the point of them doing this?"

On the other side, Kuchiki Sōjun walked over. He had just finished directing his subordinates to capture the fleeing Quincy.

"Sending out small fry to stir up trouble is not only ineffective against the Soul Society, but also easily exposes their own existence and unnecessarily arouses the Soul Society's vigilance... Why?"

Cang Chun clearly did not understand the Quincy's combat philosophy. In his mind, either they would officially start a war and have a grand battle like the one a thousand years ago, or they would send their elite squads to each other and let high-end combat power decide everything.

But the Quincy's current actions... I don't understand!

"Perhaps it's to cover for Yhwach."

Iori casually said, "To distract us in the mortal world, and then find an opportunity to attack Seireitei—that's the only thing I can think of."

"Now?"

Cang Chun was skeptical: "The Seireitei has a barrier formed by killing stones, so no one can sneak in silently. And as soon as they discover any trace of an enemy, the captains can quickly mobilize the strength of the Thirteen Divisions... Yhwach, who failed once a thousand years ago, even if he can be resurrected, how can he defeat the Thirteen Divisions, which are far stronger than they were back then?"

"Who knows? But we can't let our guard down. After all, he was a powerful figure who once pushed Soul Society to the brink of destruction. He might have some extraordinary abilities."

Just as Iori and Aojun were chatting, a team member in the distance reached out and caught the Hell Butterfly used for communication. After listening quietly for a moment, he suddenly showed an expression of extreme shock.

This also attracted the attention of the two captains. Cang Chun asked his subordinates who rushed over, "Why are you in such a panic?"

"Captain... The Shiba mansion was attacked in Rukongai. A force suspected to be a Quincy destroyed the Shiba residence. Most of the Shiba family members were rescued by the Onmitsuki, but the current head of the family, Hayato Shiba, is missing!"

"Varied--"

Kuchiki Sojun's eyes widened, and he was speechless for a long time before finally letting out a long breath.

"Hayato actually... If that's the case, then it's confirmed."

He turned to look at Iori and saw that she had a serious expression on her face, so he figured his own expression must be pretty bad too.

"Captain Aizen, what do you think?"

"Now there's no need to doubt it."

Iori said with a hint of regret and sharpness, "To be able to wipe out one of the five great noble families in an instant, in the three worlds, besides the Gotei 13, only Yhwach's Quincy can do it... It seems that he has indeed returned to this world."

"Alright, I'll go inform Saito and Captain Hikifune right now to gather the men and rush back to Seireitei immediately!"

"..."

Iori watched as Aojun hurriedly left, knowing full well that it was inappropriate, but she did not stop him.

"Of course I have to rush back to Seireitei... but if I were Yhwach, I would definitely set up an ambush in the Dangai~"

Since the number of soldiers brought this time was not large, and they were all top-notch elites, the assembly was naturally quite quick. In just a few minutes, the main personnel had all arrived, while Saito and Hikifune had only just learned of this terrible news.

As expected, they were also shocked. Although they had assumed that Yhwach would be resurrected and take revenge on Seireitei, they never expected that Shiba would be the first to be attacked—perhaps it was also related to the fact that this family had been driven out of Seireitei and were isolated outside.

"Those bastards from the 46th Chamber! Why are they fighting amongst themselves? The Shiba family is one of the five great noble families and is isolated and helpless, so naturally they'll be targeted!"