"All things in the universe… turn to ash… Ryūjin Jakka!!!"
The moment that ancient release command—spoken for over two thousand years—rolled from the Captain-Commander's mouth…
the entire atmosphere of Seireitei exploded.
"It's here!!!"
"The big one's coming!!"
"After centuries… the strongest fire-type zanpakutō—Ryūjin Jakka…"
"is finally about to display its full power again!!!"
In that instant—
it wasn't only the captains standing atop Sōkyoku Hill who were shaken.
Ryūjin Jakka's release pressure was simply too terrifying.
It alarmed the entire Seireitei.
The whole Gotei 13 was stirred into silence.
Every Soul Reaper held their breath.
People stopped what they were doing—mid-step, mid-report, mid-training—
and stared toward that forest plain with fear and reverence.
They couldn't see Yamamoto directly due to distance and terrain—
but the constant roaring tremors of burning reishi were enough to make their minds paint an image:
a monstrous flame-demon had appeared in the woods.
"This level of presence… the suppression is completely maxed out…"
"No wonder Ryūjin Jakka is recognized as the most destructive zanpakutō in existence…"
In the forest, Bai Chen's expression changed.
For the first time in all his battles—
he instinctively stepped back to widen the distance.
He untied the strap across his back and gripped Hao Fire Fan with a firm reverse hold.
Because before this—
whether it was fighting Zaraki Kenpachi…
or clashing with Ulquiorra…
even against monsters like them—
one a "Special War Power" level anomaly,
the other the only Espada with a second release—
Bai Chen had never once felt true hesitation.
He had never retreated.
He had always won—calmly, cleanly, decisively.
But this was different.
Even as he forced himself to stay steady—
his pupils contracted sharply.
His spiritual sense screamed danger from the deepest layer of his soul.
This feeling…
was something he hadn't experienced even once in the past few months.
That alone proved how terrifying Ryūjin Jakka's release truly was.
As the staff's weathered outer shell—like rusted bark—
burned away in the flame…
the blade hidden inside emerged.
The Captain-Commander seized it with raw force—
and yanked Ryūjin Jakka out of the pillar of fire like pulling a sun from the sky.
BOOOOM—!!!
The glowing, crimson blade—
his body, his shihakushō, even his captain's haori—
were all wrapped in a deep-red cloak of flame.
One hand holding the sword…
radiant beyond description…
At that moment, the Captain-Commander looked like a real sun.
Just standing still, blade in hand, he shone with overwhelming brilliance—
as if he illuminated all of Seireitei by his own existence.
Everything beneath this sky…
was placed under the dominion of flame.
Like a god of war in the present era.
The title—the strongest Shinigami in a thousand years—
was fully deserved.
"This is insane!!!"
"Just breathing feels like my body is catching fire!"
"If you get even a little closer to that forest…"
"you'll be burned alive by the flames!"
"Ryūjin Jakka… it's too terrifying!!!"
Up on Sōkyoku Hill—
even the captains, standing together, prepared and watching from far away—
couldn't keep their faces from changing.
Some instinctively stepped back.
Some immediately released spiritual pressure to resist.
Among them, aside from the one quietly hiding his true strength—Aizen—
only veterans like Unohana Retsu, Kyōraku Shunsui, and Ukitake Jūshirō could remain mostly composed.
The younger captains—Soi Fon, Kuchiki Byakuya, and others—
went pale, their expressions tight with fear.
"So that's how it is…"
"In the Rukongai, I heard those rumors a thousand times…"
"about the old man who commands the Shinigami…"
Heat-pressure winds blasted across the hill.
In just a short time, Zaraki was already drenched in sweat.
Every pore in his body poured heat like a furnace.
"I always thought the stories were exaggerated…"
"Just Shinigami trying to scare Rukongai souls…"
"fake nonsense… blown up on purpose…"
"But it's real."
"That old man… and his sword…"
are ridiculously strong."
Zaraki's nature was simple:
if he met a worthy opponent, he wanted to fight.
But right now—
not a single thought of challenging Yamamoto appeared in his mind.
Holding Nozarashi, thinking about "cutting down the old man"?
Don't joke.
Zaraki knew it instinctively:
with that kind of spiritual pressure…
his proud golden slashes—
wouldn't even crack that flame-cloak.
In his eyes—
unless you stood at the summit of Shinigami…
no one in Seireitei could truly oppose the Captain-Commander.
Anyone who angered this man—
would be erased by flame.
"Ken-chan…"
"If that grandpa is so strong…"
"How long do you think A-Bai can last?"
Little Yachiru clung to his back, riding his shoulder.
"How long?"
Zaraki rolled his eyes, not needing even a second.
"Forget lasting."
"If Bai Chen can still swing that Hao Fire Fan…"
"and block even a little under that pressure…"
that alone would already be a miracle."
Zaraki said it from the heart.
If he were in Bai Chen's place—
he'd feel like his body was trapped in mud.
And in that state…
to overcome fear and still counterattack?
That was beyond imagination.
Under everyone's gaze—
the Captain-Commander's emotions shifted after releasing his blade.
Like flame itself—
violent, irritable, absolute.
He lifted his eyes, his gaze like a torch, and spoke toward Bai Chen with pure authority:
"Bai Chen…"
"Because you joined the Gotei 13 only recently…"
you don't understand…"
"Over the past thousand years…"
how many enemies my Ryūjin Jakka has purified."
His voice was low.
It crackled with burning.
As he spoke, his sleeve-covered arm lifted slightly—
and the blade that had fully become a sword of fire—
cut through the air with brutal dominance.
The reishi in the atmosphere detonated.
Where the blade's presence passed—
plants withered instantly,
soil burned to ash,
and blackened, fractured rock was exposed like bone.
He wasn't even targeting anything.
He only lifted his arm and moved casually—
and the entire forest plain's terrain began to change.
It was transforming into a true fire-hell.
Facing that pressure—
Bai Chen had retreated earlier.
But that had been instinct.
Now—
he didn't step back again.
Not even half a step.
His face, lit by relentless firelight, remained calm.
"Captain-Commander…"
"As for the strength of Ryūjin Jakka…"
"I've already felt it clearly…"
Bai Chen tightened his grip.
The giant fire-fan spun with a heavy whoosh—
and formed a thick barrier in front of him like a shield, perfectly covering his body.
Yamamoto's brow furrowed slightly.
He spoke with absolute confidence, his tone almost like a reprimand:
"Bai Chen…"
"You still misunderstand Ryūjin Jakka."
"The flames it ignites…"
"cannot be blocked."
The response that followed—
was something no one expected.
"Hao Fire—Absorb!!!"
Bai Chen's voice cut through the inferno.
He slammed spiritual pressure into the core of Hao Fire Fan—
and its innate ability activated.
WHOOOOM—!!!
A flash of pale light—
and an overwhelming gravitational pull burst forward.
Right in front of everyone's eyes—
the surrounding flames were dragged in.
Pulled.
Captured.
And then… absorbed.
In only a few breaths—
those flames compressed into something new.
Deeper.
Heavier.
Darker—
like black-brown fire, thick as tar and far more ominous.
That single visual—
hit Seireitei like a nuclear blast.
The spectators' atmosphere detonated again.
"What?!"
"No way—did he just absorb the flames?!"
"Is that Hao Fire Fan's ability?!"
"Those flames were born from Ryūjin Jakka…"
"but now they've been turned into Bai Chen's weapon?!"
"He's using Yamamoto's own fire as ammo?!"
On Sōkyoku Hill, the captains erupted into an uproar.
Looking down at the flame-choked forest plain—
and at the shield-like layers of black fire forming before Hao Fire Fan—
everyone felt a cold, instinctive fear in their bones.
Even Aizen—who had been quietly observing—
had a sharp shift in his eyes behind the reflective lenses.
For the first time in centuries—
even he felt danger from those black flames.
"Aizen-taichō…"
"Looks like we all underestimated it," Gin slid beside him smoothly, speaking as if it were casual.
"In this 'strongest fire' clash…"
Bai Chen isn't helpless at all."
"It's not pure suppression…"
"It might actually turn into a real exchange—back and forth—based on traits and abilities."
Aizen's eyes grew heated.
The corners of his mouth lifted with genuine anticipation.
"I'm looking forward to it…"
"After he disperses the pressure…"
how will Bai Chen use that black flame…"
"to launch an attack on the Captain-Commander?"
As an observer—
standing at the perfect vantage point—
Aizen wanted Bai Chen to reveal everything.
Just like with Wood Dragon—
he wanted to peel open every secret of Hao Fire Fan without lifting a finger.
But even Aizen didn't expect—
that Bai Chen would actually unleash a move that looked like a true finishing technique.
"Hao Fire—Dragon-Flame Hymn!!!"
Bai Chen shouted and swung the fan with full force.
In the next instant—
the black flames compressed across the fan's surface—
supercharged by Bai Chen's vast spiritual power—
exploded outward and took form.
A colossal dragon-shaped inferno—
rising a hundred meters high—
coiled into the sky.
BOOOOM—!!!
Black fire roared.
It purified the air with violence.
It drove back the crimson blaze around it—
and made all of Seireitei feel something unmistakable:
danger.
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