A miracle!
This was Gerard's ability—The Miracle!
The power to reverse any negative event that befalls him, transforming it into a positive one.
"That thing is really tough," Masatsuki Aozaki remarked.
Just moments ago, when Gerard's body had been split apart, a Quincy Cross had emerged at the center of the rupture.
That was Gerard's core.
Destroying the Quincy Cross would be the key to killing him.
Masatsuki hadn't held back—he had even secretly released his Zanpakutō, channeling the power of the Bōkunchō to amplify his slash.
The entire Ice Palace had been cleaved in two, yet the Quincy Cross remained completely unscathed.
"No matter how powerful your attack is, it's useless! Pain only makes me stronger—makes me even bigger!" Gerard roared, reaching out toward Masatsuki with his massive hand.
"O insignificant Shinigami, bow before the scales of my god!"
Masatsuki stared at him for a moment before letting out a sigh.
It was time to switch targets.
Though Gerard had grown into a towering giant, his abilities enhanced in every way, Masatsuki could tell that—for now—his own power still surpassed Gerard's in terms of Reiatsu, speed, and raw strength.
However, Gerard's ability was simply too broken.
The Miracle allowed him to grow stronger the more he was struck down. Continuing to engage him head-on would only put Masatsuki at a disadvantage.
He needed a new strategy.
His gaze shifted to a far easier target—Pernida, the Soul King's left hand.
...
At that moment, Pernida suddenly felt a chilling sense of crisis.
Like prey caught in the sight of a predator.
Its body trembled instinctively.
Masatsuki paid no attention to the massive hand Gerard had swung toward him.
In an instant, his figure blurred and disappeared, moving toward Pernida at a speed too fast for the naked eye to track.
Sensing the threat, Äs Nödt reacted immediately, stepping forward to block Pernida's path.
"Vollständig: Tatarforas!"
Äs Nödt shouted.
Having witnessed Masatsuki's battle with Gerard, he didn't hesitate for a second—he activated his strongest form.
Even without considering the Schrift abilities, his raw strength was far below Gerard's.
And since Gerard had been taken down in an instant, Äs Nödt wasn't about to take any chances!
He removed his mask, revealing a ghastly, tooth-baring grin.
A glowing purple five-pointed star formed above his head, ringed with numerous sharp, spiked halos.
Fresh blood trickled down from beneath his eyes.
His upper body took on a skeletal appearance, and his arms grew long, blackened extensions.
His tight-fitting white robe stood out starkly against his eerie form, while behind him, two thorn-like Reishi wings unfurled.
A thick seam of stitches ran from his throat all the way down to the hem of his robes.
With that monstrous appearance, he could walk onto a horror movie set without any makeup.
Masatsuki silently mused at the sight.
But he didn't flinch.
He had slain too many, seen horrors far worse than this.
If something like this could still shake him, Yamamoto would have laughed him out of Soul Society.
But Äs Nödt's power clearly wasn't just for show.
Masatsuki's vision suddenly turned blank.
Not just people—everything was gone.
Not even a grain of sand, not a single speck of dust remained.
An all-encompassing loneliness engulfed him, sending a chill down his spine.
A familiar sensation…
An utterly loathsome feeling…
Äs Nödt's ability, was it?
How utterly revolting.
What one fears—must be destroyed.
He swung his blade.
A slash!
In the blink of an eye—
The blank void vanished, and the world returned to view.
Right in front of him—
Haschwalth had appeared without warning.
One hand gripping Äs Nödt's shoulder, while the earth beside them lay torn asunder.
"Does this guy feel no fear?"
Äs Nödt was in utter disbelief.
After activating Vollständig, his fear-based ability had been greatly enhanced.
Anyone who met his gaze would be affected, forced to confront their deepest fears, unable to escape.
In severe cases, they would be so overwhelmed by terror that they would suffocate and die—literally scared to death.
Yet this man… was still swinging his blade?
Äs Nödt couldn't comprehend it!
"That lunatic… If the world frightens him, he'll simply destroy it," Haschwalth stated indifferently.
Äs Nödt froze for a moment before dismissing his Vollständig.
Did he just foresee the future?!
Eradicating fear?
This guy really is insane!
Masatsuki Aozaki watched the scene unfold with mild surprise.
Because those were his exact thoughts.
A world devoid of everything was indeed terrifying—he could admit that.
But was there any reason for a world to exist if all it brought him was fear?
To someone as utterly selfish as him, the answer was obvious.
However, one thing was certain—Haschwalth had glimpsed the future, just as he had.
And it couldn't have been for long; otherwise, the Quincy wouldn't be at such a disadvantage in this battle.
His thoughts raced, but he didn't pause for even a second.
In a flash, he darted toward Haschwalth and Äs Nödt.
Haschwalth raised his Reishi longsword and swung it down.
Just as their blades were about to clash, Masatsuki twisted his sword.
He shifted his stance slightly, dodging the strike, and dashed straight toward Pernida.
"He really does understand my abilities… but why is this different from the future I foresaw?"
Haschwalth furrowed his brows, staring at his longsword, confusion evident in his eyes.
The ability to foresee the future belonged to Yhwach's "The Almighty" and was not Haschwalth's own power.
The true function of The Almighty was not just seeing the future—but changing it.
Haschwalth could only access this power through an exchange of strength, borrowing it while Yahweh was asleep.
His actual ability, the Schrift "B" for The Balance, allowed him to impose misfortune upon his enemies.
Any misfortune he inflicted would make the affected target fragile in his presence.
And if an opponent could not be afflicted with misfortune, they were considered fortunate—at which point Haschwalth would gather misfortune from across the world and redistribute it to cancel out their luck.
"What a devious ability," Masatsuki muttered.
The flames of Banshō Senran erupted from his sword, enveloping his body like a burning mantle.
He had initially assumed Haschwalth was using The Almighty and had thus disregarded his personal abilities.
After all, those two powers couldn't be used simultaneously.
Yet at the very last moment—right before their swords met—Haschwalth had switched back to The Balance.
Fortunately, Masatsuki could foresee the future, or he really might have fallen for it.
Now, he blazed forward like a flaming comet—
His target, Pernida Parnkgjas, was now within reach!
But what greeted him was an overwhelming mass of crimson tendrils, sprawling like an enormous spider's web.
...
This was Pernida's nervous system—its weapon.
As one of the Soul King's severed arms, Pernida displayed an entirely different nature from Mimihagi.
Unlike Mimihagi, which had interacted with Masatsuki without hostility, Pernida, as a Quincy, bore nothing but malice toward him.
Without hesitation, it unleashed a relentless nerve attack!
These crimson tendrils were the physical manifestation of its power.
Pernida could extend its nerves beyond its body, latching onto solid objects to manipulate their shape and movement.
Moreover, it could absorb all information from whatever it connected to—evolving its nerves to match and surpass the target.
Masatsuki tightened his grip on Banshō Senran, swinging with one hand and releasing a scorching flame slash.
The blazing attack surged forward with unstoppable force.
Even after slicing through the oncoming nerves, its momentum remained, hurtling straight toward Pernida.
Kidō-based techniques were the perfect counter to Pernida!
The sheer power of the strike was immense—
Even those standing at a distance could feel its blistering heat.
But Masatsuki's goal wasn't to incinerate Pernida.
Instead, the flames engulfed its cloak, burning it away and revealing its true form.
Beneath the tattered fabric was a massive, grotesque arm—
Chains linked its five massive fingers, and in the center of its palm, a single large eye glared menacingly at Masatsuki.
That eye had two pupils—both locked onto him.