Dark, heavy clouds blanketed the sky above Soul Society. The air carried a suffocating pressure, as if the world itself were holding its breath before an approaching storm.
At the base of Sōkyoku Hill, ranks of Shinigami had gathered in tight formation.
Among them stood the captains of the Gotei Thirteen figures whose spiritual pressure alone made the atmosphere tremble. Kyōraku Shunsui, wearing his familiar straw hat and pink haori, stood calmly beside Kuchiki Byakuya, whose noble posture remained perfectly composed even in the face of war.
Behind them were the vice-captains: Matsumoto Rangiku, Kira Izuru, and others whose Reiatsu rippled through the air like waves.
Further back were seated officers such as Madarame Ikkaku, Ayasegawa Yumichika, and Kuchiki Rukia, standing among dozens of Shinigami prepared for battle.
Altogether, nearly sixty Shinigami had gathered.
Hidden in the shadows surrounding Sōkyoku Hill were over one hundred members of the Onmitsukidō the Stealth Force under the command of Soi Fon, their presence nearly impossible to detect.
Everything was ready.
A clear voice rang out.
"Prepare to open the Garganta."
The one speaking was Sasakibe Chōjirō, the loyal lieutenant of the First Division.
Following his command, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, captain of the Twelfth Division, stepped forward while adjusting the collar of his white captain's haori. Behind him stood his lieutenant, Kurotsuchi Nemu, holding a metallic device resembling a portable dimensional stabilizer.
Mayuri pressed a switch.
A sharp sound tore through the air.
Ziiiii
Space itself split open.
A massive Garganta formed in front of the assembled Shinigami, its interior a swirling black void that connected Soul Society to Hueco Mundo.
"Advance."
The deep voice of Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni echoed across the battlefield.
Without hesitation, Yamamoto stepped forward into the Garganta.
Each step he took condensed the surrounding Reishi beneath his feet, forming a stable spiritual platform within the void. The path of spiritual particles expanded outward, wide enough for several people to walk abreast.
Such control over Reishi could only belong to a Shinigami who had reached the absolute pinnacle of spiritual power.
The others followed closely behind.
Walking along the spiritual pathway created by Yamamoto's immense Reiatsu, the captains and Shinigami advanced through the dark corridor between worlds.
After several moments, a bright opening appeared ahead.
One after another, the Shinigami emerged from the Garganta.
They had arrived in Hueco Mundo.
Before them stood the enormous fortress of the Arrancar Las Noches.
Its towering white walls stretched endlessly across the desert, the structure both majestic and ominous beneath Hueco Mundo's eternal night sky.
"Las Noches… has been repaired."
Mayuri narrowed his eyes as he observed the palace.
The last data his surveillance devices had transmitted hidden within Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez's body during earlier experiments showed the fortress badly damaged after Aizen's fall.
Yet now it stood intact once again.
Yamamoto stepped forward, his expression cold and resolute.
"Captains of the Gotei Thirteen step forward."
At his command, the captains instantly appeared at the front line.
Standing beside Yamamoto were:
Kyōraku Shunsui
Ukitake Jūshirō
Kuchiki Byakuya
Soi Fon
Komamura Sajin
Hitsugaya Tōshirō
Unohana Retsu
Kurotsuchi Mayuri
Zaraki Kenpachi
Kensei Muguruma
Rose Otoribashi
Counting Yamamoto himself, twelve captains stood in formation.
Two captain positions remained vacant.
The Third Division had lost Ichimaru Gin, while the Fifth Division still bore the shadow left behind by Aizen Sōsuke's betrayal.
Few knew the full truth behind Gin's actions. After the war with Aizen, his crimes had resulted in imprisonment, though the sentence had later been reduced due to classified circumstances.
Now the Gotei Thirteen stood united once more.
Behind the captains, Sasakibe Chōjirō raised his voice again.
"All vice-captain-level Shinigami fall back one thousand meters! Await orders and intercept the remaining Quincy forces once the captains engage!"
The vice-captains immediately obeyed.
Renji Abarai, Matsumoto Rangiku, Kira Izuru, and the others retreated to the designated distance, forming a second defensive line.
Among them stood Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika, whose strength already rivaled many vice-captains.
Moments later, another order rang out.
"All seated officers follow me!"
The speaker was the First Division's Third Seat.
Under his command, Shinigami such as Kuchiki Rukia, Kotsubaki Sentarō, and dozens of other seated officers moved into position, preparing to confront the Quincy foot soldiers.
Meanwhile, the members of the Onmitsukidō silently vanished into the surrounding dunes.
Under the direction of Kurotsuki Renya, the Stealth Force had undergone specialized training.
Each squad carried explosive Kidō seals, and several members had been trained in essential Kidō techniques:
Bakudō #26: Kyokkō used for concealment.
Hadō #31: Shakkahō
Hadō #33: Sōkatsui
With coordinated attacks and stealth tactics, even opponents at the vice-captain level could be overwhelmed.
As the Gotei Thirteen finished organizing their forces, the massive gates of Las Noches slowly opened.
From within marched ranks of Quincy soldiers, their uniforms black and white, spiritual bows forming in their hands as they gathered Reishi from the air.
Behind them stepped several powerful figures.
Members of the Sternritter.
Among them were men and women of vastly different appearances some young, some elderly, others radiating dangerous spiritual pressure.
In total, sixteen Sternritter emerged first.
They spread out, forming two lines.
Then another group appeared.
Seven figures stepped forward behind them.
Among them were warriors whose Reiatsu felt even more terrifying:
Jugram Haschwalth, calm and regal
Lille Barro, carrying a massive rifle
Gerard Valkyrie, towering like a living fortress
Askin Nakk Le Vaar, with his relaxed, almost bored expression
Pernida Parnkgjas, hidden beneath heavy robes
Bazz-B, the red-haired Quincy with a fierce grin
And standing quietly among them
Ishida Uryū.
At the very center walked a tall man wearing a black cloak adorned with the Quincy cross.
The spiritual pressure surrounding him caused even the desert air to tremble.
Yhwach.
Counting the Sternritter and their emperor, twenty-four elite Quincy now faced the Gotei Thirteen.
Yhwach slowly opened his eyes and looked toward Yamamoto.
"Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni…"
His voice carried across the battlefield.
"I did not expect you to take the initiative and attack first."
When several scouting units had failed to return earlier, Yhwach had already guessed that the Shinigami had discovered the weakness of the Medallions used to steal Bankai.
Yamamoto's expression did not change.
"This time… we will erase the Quincy completely."
Yhwach laughed.
"Erase us?"
His gaze swept across the assembled captains.
"Have you forgotten, Shigekuni? A thousand years ago, you defeated us only because we were unprepared."
"For a thousand years we have observed Soul Society."
"Your tactics. Your growth. Your weaknesses."
"And now… you believe we would wage war without certainty of victory?"
Yamamoto snorted coldly.
"That certainty you speak of was your ability to steal Bankai."
"But that advantage no longer exists."
"You may try again if you wish."
Yhwach smiled slightly.
"So you have already developed a countermeasure."
"Interesting."
"But the Medallions were merely a precaution."
"Even without them… the result will not change."
He raised his hand.
"All Sternritter… show the Shinigami the power of the Wandenreich."
At that moment, the Quincy forces surged forward.
The captains and vice-captains of the Gotei Thirteen stepped out simultaneously to meet them.
Spiritual pressure erupted across the battlefield.
Amid the chaos, Yamamoto kept his eyes locked on Yhwach.
"You will not fight?"
Yhwach folded his hands behind his back.
"There is always an appetizer before the main course."
He glanced toward the battlefield where captains and Sternritter were already clashing.
"Or perhaps… you believe your subordinates are incapable of defeating my knights?"
Yamamoto replied calmly.
"I trust the strength of the Gotei Thirteen."
Yhwach chuckled.
"Very well."
"Then let us stand here… and watch the opening act."
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes.
Standing beside Yhwach, Ishida Uryū adjusted his glasses but made no move to join the battle.
"I am merely following His Majesty's orders," Uryū said calmly.
Yhwach nodded.
"Of course."
"He is my chosen successor."
"The future emperor of the Wandenreich."
"An emperor should not dirty his hands in the opening skirmish."
Yamamoto's Reiatsu surged violently.
"Emperor?"
His voice carried absolute authority.
"From this day forward… the Wandenreich will cease to exist."
The complete novel is now available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/HACKDWORLD