Feeling the Reiatsu in the air grow denser by the second, Ukitake looked toward Urahara with concern.
"Urahara-dono, do you need assistance?"
Ukitake's Bankai—Sōgyo no Kotowari: Impermanence Diagram—was a field-type ability. If combined with the barrier, it could further reinforce its strength.
"It's fine… this is nothing… for now…"
Urahara forced a smile, a couple drops of sweat sliding down his forehead.
He had structured the barrier based on Yamamoto's Blade of Infernal Flames from his battle against Aizen.
But clearly—
That same technique could vary.
Today's Yamamoto… was far stronger.
Urahara could already feel the strain on the barrier.
And yet—
Judging from Tsunayoshi and Yamamoto's conversation yesterday—
This still wasn't Yamamoto's true trump card.
Urahara glanced at Ukitake with relief.
Good thing he's here… otherwise this might've collapsed already.
At the center of the battlefield—
With just a glance from Tsunayoshi—
All the Thorn Dragons surged toward Yamamoto.
Like facing a rain of arrows—
Only this time—
It was a storm of dragons.
Yamamoto's smile had vanished.
In its place—
Excitement.
Known as a sword demon, Yamamoto himself had clawed his way through mountains of corpses. Facing a worthy opponent—
Naturally stirred his blood.
This was different from chasing Aizen.
That had been driven by anger—and constrained by an unstable barrier.
Now—
With Urahara's barrier holding, and Tsunayoshi's overwhelming strength—
The old man, who had grown dormant for a thousand years—
Finally felt the thrill of battle once more.
He stepped forward.
Magma formed beneath his feet—
And he ascended step by step.
Facing countless Thorn Dragons—
Yamamoto's answer was simple:
Advance.
The Blade of Infernal Flames swept outward.
In this state, every swing created a sea of fire.
The first wave of dragons burned into charcoal—
Yet their momentum did not stop.
Ash scattered—
And from it, two more dragons split forth.
Slash. Cleave. Sweep. Lift. Carve.
Step by step—
Blade by blade—
Yamamoto advanced toward Tsunayoshi.
Every strike annihilated countless dragons.
Yet each burst of flame gave birth to even more.
Soon—
The entire barrier space was filled.
Yamamoto could advance no further—
Surrounded midway.
Tsunayoshi observed calmly, barely intervening.
Among his seven attributes—
Cloud Attribute Shinigami power and Hollow power were the least compatible.
One was like a frontline general—
Fighting personally.
The other—
A supreme commander—
Controlling an army from afar.
These Thorn Dragons—
Were his soldiers.
To truly master this—
He had made Cloud Attribute his first breakthrough.
After relentless effort—
He had finally unified all three systems.
Cloud Flames' nature was propagation.
Now enhanced with Hollow regeneration—
This was why he allowed Yamamoto to slaughter freely.
The more he killed—
The more they multiplied.
Within the swarm—
Yamamoto remained calm.
He knew full well what killing the dragons would cause.
And yet—
He continued.
Because what he sought—
Was this suffocating density.
No matter how many dragons there were—
Only a limited number could attack him at once.
While defending effortlessly—
His next move was already prepared.
The flames on the blade vanished.
Instead—
The entire Zanpakutō turned a deep crimson—
Like freshly forged iron.
In an instant—
Yamamoto spun, slashing in a full circle.
Tiny sparks scattered—
Landing upon the dragons.
BOOM!
The moment a spark touched—
A violent explosion erupted.
The dragon was instantly reduced to ash—
With no chance to divide.
This—
Was Yamamoto's answer.
If they couldn't stop regeneration—
It only meant one thing:
Not enough firepower.
Condense it—
Explode it instantly—
Neither regeneration nor propagation could save them.
And it didn't stop there.
After the explosion—
The sparks remained—
Absorbing Reiatsu—
Becoming new sparks—
Drifting—
Landing—
Spreading.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
Like an endless chain of firecrackers—
Once ignited—
It would not stop.
Every dragon—
Caught in a chain-reaction explosion.
They were too dense—
No room to evade.
Only destruction awaited.
Everything Yamamoto had done—
Was deliberate.
To create the perfect environment—
For the sparks to spread.
This technique—
Had only ever worked once before—
Against the Quincy army a thousand years ago.
A single spark ignites a prairie fire.
Explosions roared endlessly.
Each blast tested the barrier.
Urahara could only grit his teeth and endure—
No time for jokes now.
At the center—
Tsunayoshi charged straight through the explosions.
Yamamoto's momentum was overwhelming.
If this continued—
The next attack would be unstoppable.
And Tsunayoshi—
Had no intention of ending things here—
Not before forcing out Yamamoto's ultimate power.
With a thought—
Multiple Sphere Forms of Koyuki surged forward as vanguards.
His tonfa mechanisms fully activated—
Spikes—
Chains—
Blades—
All unleashed.
His hair transformed into countless Thorn Dragons—
Like a demonic Medusa.
All-out assault.
The flames of the Blade of Infernal Flames ignited once more.
Within this inferno—
The Zanpakutō became Yamamoto's eyes.
A sneak attack was meaningless.
He thrust forward.
The explosions faded.
The battlefield shifted—
To the sound of rapid metal clashes.
As the smoke cleared—
The two were locked in close combat.
Yamamoto used nothing but swordsmanship.
No abilities—
Only raw Zanjutsu—
Enhanced by flame.
Tsunayoshi, on the other hand—
Unleashed everything.
Tonfa strikes without pause—
Hidden spikes—
Whipping chains—
Endless variations.
Koyuki manifested in countless forms—
Supporting every angle.
Even his hair—
Turned into dragons to fill every gap.
He had become—
A living grinder.
A death zone in human form.
And yet—
Within that storm—
Yamamoto stood unscathed.
Every attack—
Stopped before even reaching his flame armor.
All deflected—
By his blade.
A thousand years of mastery—
Fully realized.
"Sawada Tsunayoshi… to force me this far at your age…"
"You may take pride in that."
His voice was calm—
But within—
Even he felt pressure.
Among the observers—
Only Unohana might survive such an assault.
"Hah—who are you fooling, old man?!"
"Bring it out—Zanka no Tachi!"
Those words—
Shook Yamamoto.
He had suspected Tsunayoshi knew something—
But hearing it confirmed—
Caused the slightest pause.
An opening.
Thousands of Thorn Dragons turned crimson—
Gathering Cero.
Each one—
Holding a Koyuki sphere within its jaws—
Charged from all directions.
The pause was brief—
But enough.
Yamamoto regained focus—
Facing a convergence of Hollow and Shinigami power.
He prepared to respond—
Turning his blade—
Ready to deploy Blazing Sun again—
But—
Chains.
Restraints.
Locked onto Ryūjin Jakka.
In that instant—
Tsunayoshi had bound the blade.
It wouldn't hold long—
But a moment—
Was enough.
Yamamoto increased the heat—
But too late.
The attack had arrived.
First wave—
Cero-infused dragons.
Second wave—
Koyuki driven forward by the blast.
A dual-layer strike.
Serpent Spitting Pearl.
BOOM!!!
Yamamoto was engulfed.
His flame armor—
Not absolute.
Floating slightly off his body—
It had gaps.
And Tsunayoshi—
Exploited them.
Even if the dragons failed—
Koyuki would land.
At least one hit—
Was inevitable.
Smoke filled the battlefield.
But Tsunayoshi didn't stop.
He pressed forward—
Tonfa thrusting into the haze.
Hit or miss—
Strike first.
Just as the weapon entered—
A charred blade emerged—
Lightly tapping it aside.
At that instant—
An overwhelming Reiatsu erupted.
Before he could react—
Tsunayoshi was blown away like an arrow.
As he was sent flying—
He faintly heard—
"Bankai—Zanka no Tachi."
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