"True Strike..."
"Using the latest term from those Shinigami below, it should probably be called 'Bankai,' right?"
Raising his arm lightly.
Propping the white brush with a broom-like tail at his side.
Ignoring the vanished "Yhwach," Ichibei Hyōsube explained to himself:
"Speaking of which, before the thing called 'Bankai' was born, the world only had evolved Zanpakutō—and White Brush Ichimonji is one of them!"
"Watch closely..."
Sweeping the tail lightly.
Ichibei Hyōsube expressionlessly raised the white brush.
Aiming at the lens—i.e., "Yhwach"'s position—and slashed!
"Swish—!!!"
Paint-like white waterfall.
Messily splashed onto "Yhwach"!
In full view...
It condensed into two massive characters!
"This is... Black Ant?!"
Viewers exclaimed.
Recognizing the scribbled handwriting at a glance.
Feeling horrified to the bone.
According to the monk—after life redefinition, the once brutal Quincy King had fallen to a pitiful insect?
In fact, they guessed right.
Ichibei Hyōsube soon confirmed:
"Yhwach who lost his name..."
"Now your power is like a black ant crawling on the ground—life fragile and lowly, liable to be stepped on at any moment!"
Wrinkled eyelids drooping slightly.
A flash of unparalleled killing intent in Ichibei Hyōsube's pale eyes:
"Such a vast power gap..."
"Is the power difference between Shinigami and pure-blood Quincies! And this gap... is a peak black ants can never cross in their lifetime!!!"
"Next... be crushed like a black ant!!!"
Roar like thunder, shaking heaven and earth.
Ichibei Hyōsube transformed back into a hellish evil monk.
His wooden-clogged foot stomped down with ground-shattering force!
At the same time...
Lingering around the Seireitei...
The Reishi refreshed by white brush strokes.
Along with air in a thousand-mile radius, were instantly drained, transforming into a massive white airwave giant foot!
Air exploded under the stomp!
Along with "Black Ant Yhwach" covered by the foot's shadow...
Heavily stomped onto the Seireitei ground by the sky-obscuring footprint!
"Boom—!!!"
After the deafening earth-shaking roar...
Came vast endless white dust like a sea of clouds!
The screen ended here!
Ultimately collapsing under the impact of pressure waves!
Declaring this leader battle ended with Yhwach reduced to a black ant, tragically squashed under the monk's foot.
A world-view-shattering transcendent battle.
Ending perfectly with the Shinigami commander's complete victory!
---
"This..."
Hueco Mundo.
The atmosphere in Las Noches wasn't great.
Though the three Espada returned safely to Hueco Mundo and even brought back a female Shinigami who didn't look like a nobody...
In the end, they failed to capture Kurosaki Ichigo.
No matter what, this operation was a failure!
Moreover...
This Shinigami named "Kuchiki Rukia"...
Though stronger than low-level Shinigami, she wasn't captain-class!
Using her as a hostage—what use was that garbage!
Who would care about such trash!
So, the Arrancars' moods were very negative—especially after watching that peak showdown, adding despair and fear deep inside!
The Zero Division leader, that ambiguous evil-eyed monk.
Every swing of his brush seemed like casually sweeping trash—effortless!
Yet every stroke, black or white!
Could easily sweep Espada-level combatants, not to mention he could rename all things in the world or even redefine others' lives!
Such power was far too heaven-defying—calling it trespassing into godly domain wasn't excessive!
Clearly reaching "Creator" level!
"If I say, supposing Aizen saw that battle segment, he'd probably abandon his plan to create the King's Key and invade the Royal Palace, right?"
On the high platform...
Skull Emperor Baraggan looked solemn.
After watching that leader battle, he gained new self-awareness—Emperor? Minion!
Yes.
Baraggan no longer called himself "Emperor."
FacingFacing world-devouring black and life-redefining white...
With several tiers of Reiatsu gap, he wouldn't seriously think his death aura could destroy a single wisp!
Even...
The aura on the monk (adbg)...
Could no longer be called "Reiatsu"!
It belonged to another energy above dimensions!
"Heh, if it was before this round of inventory, I'd think Aizen could rank top five—now, absolutely impossible!"
Nearby came Nnoitra's cold mockery.
Aizen, what qualifies him to fight those two?
Kyōka Suigetsu?
Probably exploded before Zanpakutō release!
Reiatsu?
Shinigami pinnacle Reiatsu has no comparability!
Slash?
The monk's basic attacks come with half-power reduction effects!
So...
What shining points does Aizen have left?
Even if Nnoitra thought highly of Aizen, he truly couldn't think of any!
"Yeah..."
"No denying Aizen has skills—Kyōka Suigetsu's power alone is hard to crack! But... so-called 'five-sense hypnosis' really doesn't cut it against those two!!!"
Szayelaporro sincerely exclaimed.
Unknowingly, through the previous and current inventory rounds...
The endless, increasingly exaggerated abilities had raised their standards and thresholds for power evaluation!
As viewers...
Though Aizen could easily crush them...
Against stronger ones, Aizen's strength truly fell short!
This was the fairest view from Hueco Mundo's scientist!
"Speaking of which..."
"The Quincy King has been defeated twice in a row! Once abused to death by the Gotei 13 Captain-Commander, once squashed like a black ant by the Zero Division leader!"
"Logically, Yhwach should be eliminated from top three, right?"
Coyote Starrk actively joined the discussion, raising the topic.
"I agree..."
"I think so too..."
"Unless he has even stronger power later—but I can't imagine anything surpassing the monk's ability!"
...
The Arrancars expressed their views.
Half agreed, half skeptical.
After all, similar reversals had happened countless times before!
Unless the battle truly ended, no one would conclude easily—to avoid another face-slap!
"Then..."
"Excluding Aizen and Yhwach, I truly can't think who else in this world qualifies for top three?"
"That Kurosaki Ichigo? I really can't believe it!"
Starrk frowned in analysis.
"Or is there another mysterious, powerful force in this world? Just never exposed?!"
A wake-up call!
Starrk's guess instantly lit up the Arrancars' eyes!
Right!
Only this could reasonably explain...
Why above the monk, three spots remained empty!
Very likely, our scope is too low to contact that mysterious organization!
In an instant...
The Arrancar legion felt like they'd opened the door to a new world!
Suddenly feeling their horizons had risen a level!
However...
Just as they accepted this "reasonable explanation"...
The transparent light curtain flickered.
The vanished screen restored again, accompanied by new subtitles.
And upon seeing the latest subtitle content...
Every Arrancar present froze in unison!
And grew fearful and uneasy!
"What!!!"
"Third place is actually Aizen!!!"
-----------------------------------------
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