"Getsuga Tensho!!!" Ichigo wrapped his black Getsuga around his blade, charging at Yhwach. Yhwach summoned a blade made of reishi and clashed with Ichigo. The clashing of reiatsu was too heavy and Orihime cast 'Santen Kesshun' to protect herself.

Ichigo got pushed back and skidded across the floor. "Now then," Yhwach started, his black sludge encroaching the floor and walls around him. "Let me show you true despair, Ichigo."

Chapter 677: HORNS OF SALVATION III

SCREAMING QUINCY

The black ooze suddenly sprang up in the form of spikes and Ichigo backed off. Slowly, Yhwach took two steps forward as the black ooze began to lazily wrap around the rest of Yhwach's body. He brought up his right hand and began to truly feel the reiatsu of the once 'Mimihagi' or in better terms, the Soul King's right arm.

"Truly magnificent. This power is on a whole other scale. Your Bankai may have given you the edge earlier, Ichigo, but at this rate, you..."

Spikes emerged from Yhwach's back. "WILL NOT STOP ME!!!"

The spikes then charged at Ichigo who held them back with his black blade. He gritted his teeth as the spikes kept pounding at his blade.

Meanwhile, the black sludge that was encroaching the floors suddenly destroyed the rest of the walls of the Throne Room and the force of it caused Orihime, despite being protected by her 'Santen Kesshun' to be thrown back down the stairs which led up to the original room and she landed at the bottom of the stairs, blood trickling down her head.

"ORIHIME!!!" Ichigo cried out, losing his focus for a second before a white reiatsu encloaked his blade. "GETSUGA JIGOKUSHO!!!!" The orange-haired hybrid unleashed the white 'Getsuga' and blasted back the spikes.

Yhwach stared eagerly at Ichigo, a mad smile on his face.

- At the base of Wahrwelt Castle -

Byakuya raised his hand and used 'Senbonzakura' to smash the wall in front of him. Kenpachi walked behind him. "Keh, if you wanted to take down the wall, you should've let me cut it down."

Byakuya stared blankly at the Eleventh Company's Captain. "I don't recall ever asking the assistance of a thoughtless, danger prone, ape like you to take down a wall. I'd rather you save your remarks for the upcoming battles."

"Huh?! Kuchiki, if you don't want your ass to be hanging off of my sword then stay quiet."

"As if a mere commoner like yourself could ever hurt me."

"Oh? We never got to settle this back in Hueco Mundo. Wanna see who's bitch-ass will get butchered first?"

- In another part of Wahrwelt Castle -

"Abarai!!!" Uryu yelled out as he caught a glimpse of the red-haired Shinigami along with Rukia.

"Ishida? Wait, why's your father and Ichigo's father here?" Renji looked over at the duo behind Uryu. Isshin didn't really feel like explaining so instead he greeted Rukia. Ryuken simply didn't want to converse at all so he stayed silent which disappointed Renji.

He was about to say something until everyone felt the heavy reiatsu above them.

- Just outside the Throne Room -

"Inoue!!" Chad called out, running with Ganju to help pick up the knocked down girl. As he helped her up, he observed a scuff mark on the side of her head. "Are you okay?"

Orihime groaned, "Mhm...yeah. What about Ichigo?"

The three looked upwards as they felt the two massive reiatsus' clashing. They all ran upwards and witnessed both Ichigo and Yhwach fighting. Yhwach created more spikes out of the black sludge and launched it towards Ichigo.

Ichigo fired off a 'Getsuga Tensho' and the black wave clashed with the sludge, cancelling each other out and creating intense wind pressure. In that moment, Orihime used her 'Santen Kesshun' to protect the three of them. "Is...is that guy even a Quincy?" Ganju shivered, feeling the raw intensity of Yhwach's reiatsu and how it was growing.

Ichigo looked behind him and saw the trio. Chad caught a glimpse of Ichigo's eyes before the Shinigami turned back and charged at Yhwach. Orihime decided to ready her 'Koten Zanshun' but Chad put his hand on her shoulder to signal to her not to.

"Why, Sado?"

"I saw just now from Ichigo's eyes. He doesn't want us interfering. If he doesn't want us interfering, he must have some kind of plan. So..." Chad clenched his fist, fighting back the urge to step into the fray. "Let's wait and believe in him."

Orihime looked back at the battlefield as Yhwach created a sword from the black sludge and sliced Ichigo's left shoulder. Ichigo stepped back, huffing. His wound then healed instantaneously, earning another smirk from Yhwach. "High-speed regeneration? How hollow-like indeed."

Ichigo didn't reply but instead, charged again. A black and white reiatsu engulfed his blade. "GETSUGA TENTOJIGOKUSHO!!!"

Ichigo brought down his sword as Yhwach crafted a shield of the black ooze to block the attack. He was unable to fully stop it as Ichigo's blade broke through the shield and sliced Yhwach across the chest, pushing him back.

The King huffed as Ichigo did. "You continue to surprise me, my son..."

Ichigo simply stared at Yhwach for a brief moment before looking at Zangetsu.

"Damn it...at this rate, it's not gonna work..."

"Oh, if you're out of tricks already, do not worry!!! This new power of mine will engulf everything!! Not having anything left and surrendering to me is the only options you have left available to you, Ichigo!!! Surrender to despair!!!"

Ichigo stared confidently at Yhwach. "So then, what of this despair? I've fallen into despair countless times, and every time, I've climbed back up, kicked it in its teeth and came crawling back all for this moment!!!"

He outstretched his left hand and summoned his smaller Zangetsu. Yhwach became slightly confused as Ichigo brandished both blades in front of him, both pointing at Yhwach. "I told you earlier...'Shin Tensa Zangetsu' is my Bankai in which my merged Shinigami and Hollow powers are brought to their full extent.This...is what happens when I merge my Quincy powers into them."

The two blades glowed blue before Ichigo was engulfed in a massive blue explosion. The pressure almost blew the trio behind Ichigo back and Yhwach smiled. "So...this was your true endgame?"

The smoke cleared and revealed Ichigo in a sleeveless white Shihakusho with blue rimmings along with white boots, white gloves, a silver bracelet with a cross hanging off of it on his left wrist. Ichigo himself was kneeling on his left knee and his right hand, he held the red hilt of a blade. The inner part of the blade was black while the base was white. The blade had a bit jutting out to act as a guard and a chain is seen attached to the top of the blade all the way to the bottom of the jutted end.

The hole in Ichigo's chest remained and the markings were the same except now, two stripes ran down the left side of Ichigo's face, both going through his left eye which remained a Hollow's. Ichigo stood up and lifted up his blade.

He swung it nonchalantly and Yhwach's left arm was suddenly cut off.

A beacon of hope!! Ichigo unleashes his full true power!!!

To Be Continued in Chapter 679: The End of My World