"There are too many... Even after Bankai, I'm afraid…"
Byakuya Kuchiki, who had been observing the battlefield intently, felt a rare sense of unease.
His Senbonzakura Kageyoshi was particularly suited for large-scale combat, its countless blades capable of overwhelming enemies at a distance. Yet, even with such an advantage, the sheer number of adversaries before him made it feel almost futile.
Individually, these soulless beings were weak. But their overwhelming numbers—that was what made them truly terrifying.
"It seems Kidō will be inevitable in the end…" Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni muttered to himself in a deep voice, his sharp gaze assessing the battlefield.
Nearby, Zaraki Kenpachi watched the unfolding chaos, his grin fading ever so slightly. "You're not the kind of guy who'd just let himself die here, are you, Akira?" he murmured.
Would Akira be consumed by the Soulless Army? Or would the Kidō Cannon obliterate him along with the realm known as Valley of Space? At this rate, his death seemed certain.
Perhaps the only way to survive was to escape the Valley of Space before it was too late.
"Aki, run away!"
From the streets of Seireitei, Rukia Kuchiki's voice rang out in desperation. But no matter how loudly she screamed, her words could not reach Akira.
Yet, Akira was not the kind of person who would flee—even if he could.
He let out a low chuckle. "If you step back and take a good look, the crisis is quite impressive. Not bad at all."
Then, with a casual tone, he mused, "Judging by their numbers… I'd say it would take at least seven or eight Byakuyas at full Bankai to hold them off."
Byakuya Kuchiki, whether he realized it or not, had just become a unit of measurement.
Elsewhere, a figure emerged from beneath the rubble—Ganryū. There was no longer any need for him to hide.
And why was that?
Because Ganryū believed he had already won.
"Hahahaha! Do you see this?" Ganryū's laughter echoed across the battlefield. "This is the grudge my family—Ryōdoji Clan—has carried for millennia in this Broken Realm!
"Even if ten of you stood against us, you could never stop the wrath that will annihilate the Soul Society!"
But Akira's eyes remained cold. "That may be true for others," he said, "but you clearly don't understand my power."
Ganryū scoffed. "Stubborn words mean nothing now! This is an army that cannot be erased by mere resolve!
"They do not feel fear. They have no vital points. They do not retreat. And they will never stop advancing, no matter how many you cut down!
"That is what makes the Soulless Army the most difficult force to defeat. Every single one of them is far harder to destroy than an ordinary enemy!"
Akira's hands ignited with black flames. "I already told you," he said, his voice calm yet resolute.
"You know nothing about my power."
With that, he leapt into the horde of soulless beings.
Ganryū narrowed his eyes. "What is he trying to do? Suicide?"
But then—
BOOM!
A monstrous explosion erupted from within the Soulless Army.
"Dragon Slayer Profound Truth—Alteration: Black Lotus Blazing Blade!"
A black tornado surged skyward, incinerating every enemy within a hundred-meter radius.
And then—like a pillar of raw destruction—it tore through the sky of the Valley of Space itself.
Ganryū stood frozen, watching in disbelief.
"What… What is he doing?"
Had Akira just sacrificed most of his power?
As the Dragon Slayer Profound Truth detonated above, it bloomed like fireworks at the highest point—
A dazzling, cataclysmic display—
The most destructive fireworks in history.
The countless scattered flames are swept away by the spiraling force of the Kokuren Honōjin (Black Lotus Blazing Blade), scattering like raindrops throughout the valley known as Heigu.
"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"
Then, a shocking sight unfolded.
Everywhere in the valley, black flames bloomed like lotus flowers in full bloom. The Kokuren flames spread rapidly, consuming everything in their path with terrifying speed. Even the tiniest spark of Amaterasu would cling to whatever it touched, burning endlessly, never to be extinguished.
The flames grew larger and larger, until they merged into a vast, all-consuming sea of black fire.
"What…!?"
Ganryū's eyes widened in horror. In that instant, he finally understood.
His breath caught in his throat, and for a moment, he felt as if his heart had stopped.
"Indeed, your army of wandering souls is vast and difficult to deal with," Akira's voice echoed through the inferno. "No matter who faces them, they would find it troublesome."
"But it's a pity…"
Akira's expression remained calm as he continued, "I am the natural enemy of the Soulless Army."
Through the fusion and sublimation of Dragon Slayer magic, the Amaterasu Ryūen (Amaterasu Dragon Flame) possessed two particularly devastating traits.
First, the original Amaterasu flames' unyielding nature—once ignited, they would not be extinguished until their target was completely incinerated.
Second, the terrifying ability to burn through not only physical matter but also energy itself.
"So that's it… It's still this powerful!"
The Captains of the Gotei 13 finally understood.
Even if a soul were cleaved into multiple pieces, it could still move, unyielding and fearless. But Akira had no need for such direct combat.
All he needed to do was allow even the smallest spark of Amaterasu to touch a soul—and eventually, the flames would spread like a wildfire, consuming everything in their path.
"It's over. You've lost."
Akira released the restraints binding Senna, shielding her as he gazed at Ganryū with an unwavering stare.
Ganryū stood frozen, unable to tear his eyes away from the scene before him.
The valley of Space had transformed into a breathtaking yet horrifying expanse of pitch-black flames, marking the complete annihilation of his Soulless Army. Along with it, the long-standing grudge of the Ryōdoji Clan clan had been reduced to ashes.
"I… I won't admit defeat! Not even against a monster like you!"
With a desperate roar, Ganryū summoned a multitude of light-forged blades, directing them at Akira with all his might.
Akira, however, remained indifferent. Raising his hand, he gathered an ever-growing sphere of black fire—an ominous, smoldering orb of destruction.
"Is that so? Then, perish."
With those words, Akira hurled the miniature black sun at Ganryū.
"Kokuen Ryū no Kagayaki!" (Radiance of the Black Flame Dragon!)
Ganryū unleashed countless sword beams in a final, desperate counterattack.
Yet, even a power that could match Getsuga Tenshō could not so much as weaken the incoming destruction. The dark inferno engulfed Ganryū entirely, its scorching heat consuming his robes, his hair—his very existence.
"BOOM!!!"
A deafening explosion swept through the valley, and with it—everything was over.
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