Numerous spiritual pressures flooded the area in great waves that exuded forth with the furor of raging winds. The many that had gone to the Dangai had returned one by one from the boundary between dimensions.
Shirou observed his friends and allies carefully, and gradually nodded his head. Although they appeared no different from before, it would be a mistake to assume that their gains weren't substantial considering they were all in their base forms.
Of note, Baraggan's aged features in his unreleased state revealed signs of youth and vigour while more of Harribel's mask fragments had shattered off, leaving only the sharp jaws around her mouth. Her neck and upper collar bone were now exposed, and this breaking off of more mask fragments was a similar trend for all the other Arrancar as well.
From the corner of Shirou's perception, he sensed a slight disturbance in Aizen's spiritual energy at the arrival of the others and their gains, but Aizen was quick to fix such an oversight while contending against one of Yhwach's spiritual bodies.
In any case, Shirou understood that there was no use delaying for any longer.
Time waits for no one.
The passing centuries that he lay dormant upon Hueco Mundo's white sands were now over, and the beginning of a new era was at hand.
Hollows, Humans, Shinigami, and now Quincy, this new world was plagued by conflicts just like the last. Each had their own ideals and aspirations, and each would be willing to fight and die for their causes, but this war of a thousand years had spanned for long enough.
This conflict must come to its conclusion.
Hueco Mundo rumbled as he pursed his eyes shut and began to focus.
This shelter; this home that had lasted for a thousand years must too reach its end.
He came to a decision.
He didn't know the purpose of his arrival for the longest time, but now that everything that he was and symbolized in his mind had returned, an answer had appeared:
A wish, a desire at the root of his being.
Shirou was at the center of attention where he stood hovering, all gazes directed on him including those that had just returned. The weight of those stares combined reminded him again that there was purpose in his existence; a key figure to usher in a hard-fought peace.
What was this moment if not a chance to be a Hero?
This one thought had always been at the center of his being, buried in mor and more dirt until he could hardly see it anymore at the time of his passing from his mortal shell.
The hollow hole left in his heart from regrets and mistakes may very well be the loss of his former dream.
This sensation of emptiness that had plagued him from the beginning, what other answer did he need other than to fulfill it? Perhaps this alone was the meaning of his existence, the why to all his uncertainties.
Nevertheless, he grew resolute.
The circuity of his magic pathways flared to life, tugging on the strings of his conscience and coaxing out the hidden well of energy within.
Ripples formed around Hueco Mundo. Once, twice, then by the third, all remaining Hollows and Shinigami taking refuge within it were gently expunged.
Unohana and all the Shinigami of Squad Four watching over the injured hastily created platforms of spiritual energy in the air to keep them afloat.
Ever so slowly, and right before everyone's eyes, Hueco Mundo began to dissipate, its entire sphere of influence accommodated by the world around it beginning to tremble and shake.
"Surely, you aren't so foolish?!" Yhwach's voice echoed across the expanse separating them.
Shirou knew exactly what Yhwach was calling him out on.
Hueco Mundo was crumbling apart; the boundaries that it imposed within the dimensions losing strength rapidly until cracks began to form and widen.
Without Hueco Mundo, how could he possibly hope to contend against Yhwach's strength?
No, more than just that. With Hueco Mundo's destabilization, Yhwach's assimilation process to swallow Hueco Mundo was rendered useless.
In response to Yhwach's outburst, Shirou pointed at himself with conviction.
"It's you that doesn't understand," he directly berated before balling his hands into fists. "All that I am and ever will be, has always resided here."
With that final piece said, the last dregs keeping Hueco Mundo afloat broke down into a river of spiritual particles that congregated around him and submerged beneath his skin.
A keening hum reverberated, under the stunned silence from the collapse of a world that had lasted over a thousand years.
Yhwach's countenance fell both from shock and disbelief.
Hueco Mundo was gone, but in turn, the accumulation of all its power had assimilated back to its origin.
A sword of the soul would come alive.
-[Follow my lead]
In wake of Hueco Mundo's disappearance, Shirou's voice trailed in the wind like an ironclad order, granting strength and fervor as his figure blasted forward ahead of the rest; lines of wind and energy left dragging on his coat-tails.
Harribel, Grimmjow, and the others were forced to shield their faces from the pressure, but soon after roared their assent.
The disappearance of Hueco Mundo still astounded everyone, but to the Hollows their concern for the loss of their home was secondary.
They gave chase to the figure in the lead that was at the center of all events pertaining to this moment. No matter if their desert of white sand was gone, or if they had no idea what the future held, so long as the figure before their eyes remained, then that was enough.
"For the Vasto of White! Slaughter the enemy!"
"Yesssss! Thiss is ittt!" Bloodlust erupted from Grimmjow and the frenzied hollows. "Rip and tear!"
Spiritual energies of reds, blues, and even greens created a storm that funneled and chased towards the beacon of Shirou's spiritual energy in the lead.
The scene was shocking; a parade of Hollows and Arrancar blotting out the sky.
The Shinigami left behind without a care grew uncomfortable. The innate terror of the sight before them coupled with their own weakness left the defeated petrified. Yet this wasn't the case for all. Few grasped tightly onto their swords in stubbornness. Beaten, wounded, and left without time to recuperate, they refused to stand still.
Whether it be for vengeance, honour, or even duty, numerous Shinigami who could still stand alone on their feet mustered their courage.
Renji Abarai, lieutenant of Squad Six had veins popping over his temples, mouth set into a sneer before he rocketed off in pursuit. No one stopped him. Instead, others only followed.
Ichigo was the first, followed by a concerned Karin, Isshin, and all his friends who were all staring fixedly at Silent.
Rukia Kuchiki with bloodshot eyes and grief-stricken features was the next to leave.
Then came the members of the Zero Squad, making use of the diversion of the parade of Hollows to near the Soul King's Palace.
Harribel, Nel, and the other members of the Vasto of White's forces didn't even bother with the numerous tag-alongs. What mattered now was focusing ahead, and keeping Shirou's figure in sight.
As for Aizen, the man scoffed before ignoring the spiritual body of Yhwach in front of him and flash-stepping to match Shirou's strides. It was a show of Aizen's own capabilities that the man was the closest to running shoulder-to-shoulder with Shirou.
The two merely nodded at each other before Aizen got the que and slowed his pace when unimaginable spiritual fluctuations flared from Shirou's body.
-[I am the Bone of my Sword]
The words resounded loud and clear; the power released at their utterance directly offsetting Yhwach's pressure from the Soul King's Palace.
Without Hueco Mundo acting as a stop gate, the common consensus was that there was nothing left to stop Yhwach's control of the world through the Soul King's authority.
Of course, this would only be the case if Hueco Mundo was truly gone, and as Aizen watched keenly, his perception warned him that Hueco Mundo's disappearance wasn't quite so simple.
-[Steel is my Body and Fire is my Blood]
Power emanated; thousands upon thousands of blades manifesting in the sky and shooting towards the distant black figures spawned from the star-shaped palace ahead.
The sheer volume of steel produced clangs and ear-wrenching screeches as they tore into the bulk of Yhwach's shadows and pried them apart as if two crow-bars wrenching an opening.
A path was made directly to the heart of the palace.
All that was left was to cross the distance, but this in of itself was a hurdle impossible even for Aizen to meet.
Yhwach's spiritual pressure between the zone leading to the Palace was too immense for any ordinary soul to bridge the gap.
And yet a figure shot forth like the tip of a sword cleaving the way.
-[I have created over a thousand blades]
The swords hovering in the air converged and rotated like a drill boring into all obstacles, and in the end, those that followed within the hole created by this figure were immersed in the spiritual energy the figure let off.
Flashes, images, voices, and the strongest of memories lingered within souls, and spiritual energy was but a medium.
-[Unknown to Death]
A story was being told here.
Written in the stars, it depicted hardship, unbreakable will, and tragedy that stunned the Shinigami who could never imagine that such an upright individual had become a Hollow.
-[Nor known to Life]
Push forward ever still upon this beaten road.
-[Have withstood pain to create many weapons]
"Preposterous! A fool that has forsaken his own reserve of power doesn't deserve to reach my palace!"
Yhwach's spiritual energy spiked further, shimmers forming in the air, and yet a growing resistance could not be ignored.
A field of light shone around a point of convergence, revolving stellar beams of energy igniting into a ring of fire rapidly spreading out.
-[Yet, these hands will never hold anything]
The scenes found within the essence of the permeating spiritual energy flickered until only one image remained of a dying stalwart figure stabbed with numerous swords overlooking the twilight of a battlefield. There were no allies, friends, or family, only desolation and waning belief.
Always alone on a hill of swords.
The scene resonated deeply with Coyote, a howl escaping her lips, seeking the assurance of another's companionship and asserting that this lonely hill was no longer his reality.
You are not alone.
One howl gave rise to another, and another, until the howls drowned all else in order to convey the sentiment across.
This was when it happened.
In full view of all, Shirou tilted his head up in the face of Yhwach's opposition, the ring of flames around him rapidly expanding to envelop Yhwach and the entirety of the Soul King's dimensions within it.
Once you believe in something so strongly that it defines you as who you are and what you will always be, then the strength of your convictions may very well assert dominance.
To take the world's laws and bend them to the will of one's own inner world was the hallmark of what is known as a Reality Marble.
This space is now my domain.
-[So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works]
An explosion of light and power encapsulated all to reveal a new land stretching beyond a distant horizon. Swords were scattered upon the earth, cool wind blew, and the currents of flame ebbed from beneath the surface roiled.
The landscape was both foreign and familiar, the vast expanse running parallel to what Hueco Mundo had once been.
The only difference was that hovering in the sky of UBW was the star shaped palace of the Soul King and Yhwach presiding over it and staring in stunned wonder at the scenery.
The sheer spiritual pressure of this place was several times more than that of Hueco Mundo. Any average Hollow caught within would surely perish in a matter of seconds.
Harribel glanced around at the barren landscape, her lips pursing, eyes settling ahead where looming shadows threatened to blot out the entire area.
From the Soul King's Palace, Yhwach was channeling his gathered strength and mass producing a horde of eyed shadows. Near instantly, the numbers dwarfed their sides by a magnitude of ten.
It seemed to come easy for Yhwach as if he could now manifest his power with but a thought.
"Impressive, what is this place?" Yhwach asked before shaking his own head. "Whatever advantage you think you have by trapping me and my palace here, you're sorely mistaken of your own capabilities. At best, you may be able to restrain me, but I fail to see how you'd win our wager when the forces on your side are this lacking."
Shirou was unperturbed despite Baraggan and the others bristling.
"You know nothing of what I am and what I can accomplish at present." Shirou's voice echoed within the hearts and minds of all those present. "This place, this world is my reflection; my inner reality imposed upon the laws of actuality. In here, your numbers and means do not hamper me."
"Bold words. Care to put them to the test?"
Yhwach gestured with a hand, signalling his eyed shadows to descend, but even before that everyone watched as Shirou disappeared.
-"The stage for you and I doesn't belong here."
Shirou grabbed Yhwach's head with a hand and dragged his entire body away beyond sight.
Only a single message of assurance drifted in the breeze.
"I'll handle him. I leave the palace to you all."
This was crazy.
There was no other way to describe this madness.
Kisuke gingerly pushed down the front of his bowl-shaped hat and frowned while assessing the circumstances. Putting aside his thoughts on the Vasto of White's character and imagery that he saw with the others, there were just too many variables at play here.
To begin with, what was this place, and what connection did it have with Hueco Mundo?
No-nono, that was the wrong question to be asking.
The real question that needed to be answered was how to use the world and people around him to formulate a path to a 'good' outcome. Regardless if the Vasto of White won this confrontation, it still doesn't eliminate the threat the Vasto of White and his forces impose. In fact, it would make them worse as they'd prove that they were more difficult to handle.
Focus.
He stared up at the Soul King's Palace.
"Let's not get ahead of myself here," he mumbled. "It's all over if this world assimilation isn't stopped. Yhwach's power must be cut at the root, but this isn't going to be a problem of wits, but manpower."
Who do he have on the side of the Shinigami aside from the scant few he managed to haggle with Aizen to obtain slots in the Dangai? A majority of the Shinigami had been used as glorified batteries to fuel his time-warping device, leaving the bulk of the Seireitei's forces encumbered by spiritual exhaustion. Only high-level combatants were left on their side which meant that they had to be opportunistic and not fail to exploit any openings.
In this regard, the only real strategy available was to make use of the Vasto of White's forces.
His eyes narrowed almost into slits.
The number of Yhwach's eyed shadows were too much, and it didn't seem as if there was an end to them.
What was the point of thinking of stratagem if he had no way to bypass this first hurdle with the limited human resource on hand?
The forces of the Vasto of White were surely going to suffer at this rate, but like blind fools they charged head on against the adversary. Granted, Renji and a few hot-heads from the eleventh division had already jumped into the fray, but at least the remaining combat-able Captains were being prudent in their caution.
Kisuke clicked his tongue, and got himself ready for battle.
With the way things were going, the Vasto of White's forces would suffer from a difference in numbers, and then the enemy's forces wouldn't miss the opportunity to kick the Seireitei's forces while they were down.
This was going to be hard fought.
Worse, they hadn't even reached the palace.
Standing not too far off of from him and observing, Aizen flashed a condescending grin.
Smug bastard. The fact that they were probably thinking with the same line of thought displeased him.
Kisuke grimaced, but things changed rapidly in mere seconds before the Vasto of White's forces collided with Yhwach's.
-[Judging the concepts of creation]
The Vasto of White's voice echoed from all around, the air shuddering from rapidly swirling spiritual energy.
"What's happening?"
Kisuke watched Unohana narrow her eyes and form a Kido barrier around Yamamoto and the other injured Shinigami as a precaution.
-[Hypothesizing basic structures]
Swords formed, pelting up towards the Soul King's palace.
"Press the attack! Don't waver!" Ichibei's countenance brightened at this turn of events and the prospect of victory.
Kisuke saw things differently. What was the use of these words?
If anything, his mind attributed them with different meanings. Just as the words the Vasto of White had spoken before had sparked the creation of this new dimension, it was simple to derive the assumption that the Vasto of White's words would carry weight in this space.
-[Duplicating the composition materials]
Materials, structures, and concepts, following along these lines, a conjecture was made along with fluctuations of the environment all around. If the Vasto of White could already recreate Zanpakuto, then considering that this space was a reflection of the Vasto of White's inner world then surely…
Petals scatter across the wind, thousand of cherry blossoms cascading outward in a violent flurry and smashing against the horde of shadows.
"B-Brother?" Rukia's eyes glistened in alarm at the scene.
"Captain?" Renji froze in place, almost hopeful yet not daring.
-[Imitating the concept of their making]
'It's as I thought.'
Kisuke felt his lips tugging upward at this new development, gaze shifting to the heavens up high and ignoring Aizen's nod of understanding and expectation.
-[Sympathizing with the experience of their growth]
Sit upon the frozen heavens…
-[Reproducing the accumulated years]
Burn until the final embers…
-[Excelling every manufacturing process]
'To handle an army, you would need another army.'
Numerous figures appeared, spirits normally unseen, unheard, and unable to interact with the physical world manifesting.
Zanpakuto Spirits.
"M-My babies!" Nimaya began to blink rapidly.
Yet more than just this development was a fact that stunned Gin Ichimaru sticking close to Rangiku.
-[Trace On: Overload]
The prior events in the Seireitei came to Gin's mind when Shinso appeared and took on a whole new level of power.
As one, and under the eyes of the Shinigami, each Zanpakuto entered their Final state.
Kisuke buried his feelings of sudden trepidation.
Was this the true strength of the Vasto of White?
Personal strength was terrifying enough, but this, this was on a whole new level. His mind went on overdrive. Even if Yhwach was defeated, against the Vasto of White and this new force and even Aizen…Would they even be able to win?
Dammit.
Thanks for reading! I got my Covid-19 Vaccine recently, and damn, it had like a delayed effect. I felt fine the first few days, and then I wake up with a headache today of all days. (I work a summer job right now, and I have to make the best of my time, and this was my free day.) In any case, sorry if the chapters a little short, but the story will be ending soon at the conclusion of this arc. So, give or take a couple more chapters.
Next updates: Birth of a Legend V2
P a treon. com (slash) Parcasious
Book links:
Fatedlegacydark. ca
King of the Lonely Peak
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Survivor's Log Reflection: Amazon.c-om/dp/B08VDDGN7Z?