233 Chapter 198 - Two Kings.
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[Third Person. POV.]
A fierce aura surrounded the area as the four warriors locked eyes. Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the pillar of the Gotei 13, the embodiment of what it meant to be a shinigami, against Adam, the mysterious outsider, with Captains Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake, the prodigies at his side.
Without hesitation, Yamamoto's spiritual pressure rose exponentially. Flames erupted from his zanpakuto, the heatwave reaching every corner of Sokyoku Hill. "If it's death you seek, then you shall have it," he thundered.
Adam, without delay, dashed towards Yamamoto, his blade glowing with a strange energy. However, before he could make contact, a massive wall of flames sprouted, blocking his path. Simultaneously, Shunsui and Jūshirō moved.
Yamamoto, without moving his feet, manipulated the flames to lash out in waves. Each wave sought a different target. While the captains deftly dodged, Adam was more direct, slicing through them with his blade.
But in the midst of this hellish onslaught, one particularly vicious wave of flames surged towards Jūshirō, too rapid for him to evade. However, this time, instead of dodging, he positioned his twin blades, Sōgyo no Kotowari, in a unique stance. As the flames neared him, they were suddenly absorbed into one blade, the energy causing it to glow with a searing intensity, before redirecting the flames he had just absorbed straight at Yamamoto with his other blade.
Yamamoto didn't move, instead, as the flames of his own attack came down on him, the flames of his Zanpakuto rose, stopping the attack as if it was nothing.
Adam, seeing the old man focused on Jushiro, seized this moment, lunging at Yamamoto, forcing him to switch his focus as their blades met with a loud clash, sending sparks flying.
Following Adam's approach, Shunsui managed to approach Yamamoto from the flank, aiming a swift strike, but Yamamoto, despite being preoccupied with Adam, sidestepped the attack, avoiding Shunsui's attack while repelling Adam with a fierce push.
Adam grinned, poiting at Yamamoto with his blade, releasing a concentrated beam of energy that streaked towards the old man, forcing the old man to dodge, after all, had he not dodged, he would've been injured. "Ha, you dodge that one."
"Your arrogance is your downfall, boy," Yamamoto growled, his eyes narrowing.
Adam moved forward with a series of quick slashes, but as always, Yamamoto countered each attack with equal ferocity, each blow landing with bone-crushing force. As the two engaged in close quarters, Shunsui and Jūshirō circled around them, looking for an opening to strike, one that would never come under the experience of the Head-Captain.
"Do you not see?" Yamamoto's voice echoed. "This battle, this resistance, all of it is futile."
Shunsui, panting slightly from the exertion, replied with a smirk, "It sure feels like that."
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[Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's POV.]
It had been a while since I had a battle like this, more than a thousand years, to be precise. Today, not only Jushiro and Shunsui were standing against me, my most brilliant pupils, but Adam, a complete unknown, who despite being an outsider, the strength he possessed was undeniable.
That being said.
His end… no, their end was near.
This battle had gone long enough.
With a surge of energy, I lunged forward, aiming a strike at Adam's heart. I expected him to try and dodge or parry, but instead, he stood his ground, seemingly defenseless. It felt like a clear path; nothing would prevent my blade from piercing him.
However, as the blade neared him, a sensation unfamiliar to me in my centuries of combat was felt. It was as if I had struck a wall of thick, dense water. I couldn't see any barrier, but its presence was unmistakable. It absorbed the impact of Ryūjin Jakka's flames, nullifying the force I had put behind the attack.
Stunned, I withdrew a step, my eyes narrowing as I tried to discern this unseen defense. The air around Adam seemed to ripple slightly, like a mirage in the desert's heat.
"What is this?" I demanded, not accustomed to surprises in battle.
Adam merely smirked, his eyes dancing with a mix of amusement and respect. "Who knows," he responded, his voice laced with confidence. "It's something you might not understand, even with all your years."
My grip tightened on my zanpakuto. His enigmatic nature was starting to wear thin on my patience. "Regardless of what shields you, I will break through," I declared, reiatsu flaring up as flames danced around me, preparing for another strike.
Adam just stood there, relaxed, yet ready, the invisible barrier around him pulsating with an energy I couldn't quite comprehend. The challenge was clear, and I was more than willing to rise to it.
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[Yhwach. POV.]
From the dimly lit hall of my throne, I watched the unfolding events in Soul Society. The Seretei, the very heart of shinigami power, was vivid through the massive crystal orb in front of me, which allowed me a view of distant places, enabling me to see battles from afar. But what intrigued me now was not the familiar, age-worn face of the monster known as Yamamoto.
But my brother.
Every strike, every movement, every burst of energy resonated with a familiarity that echoed in the depth of my soul. I could see the power within him, and yet, it felt... restrained, muted. Like a roaring lion confined in a cage, its might clear, but not at its fullest.
Why? Why did Adam seem so... weak?
The last time I felt such an energy was when the two of us were born from the same source, our father the Soul King, a time long lost to history, a time when our fates had yet to diverge. But while I had awakened to my full potential relatively quickly, amassing power and followers, Adam had disappeared, lost in the annals of time.
Now here he was, a shadow of what he could truly be, fighting the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13. Why wasn't he as powerful as he should? Could it be that he wasn't truly awake yet?
A thought struck me. Just as I had my Sternritter, my chosen knights, to feed and magnify my power, did Adam lack such a source? Did he need his own catalyst to awaken?
His combat prowess, even now, was commendable. The way he moved, the energy he harnessed, it was all very impressive. But I knew, deep down, that there was so much more to him. The true extent of his strength was yet to be revealed.
The question then was, what would it take to awaken him fully? And more importantly, would that awakening be a threat or an asset to my goal?
Surely he would agree that the Soul King needed to die, to be taken out of his misery. Then again, perhaps he would stand against me.
Both options worked in the end.
My fingers drummed on the armrest of my throne, a thoughtful rhythm in the silence of the hall. The future was a complex weave, ever-shifting, ever-changing. And as always, I intended to be prepared for every possibility.
I smiled.
Two pieces of a greater being, two souls born from the power of an almighty being.
The Quincy, The King of The Quincy and Time.
The Shinigami, The King of The Shinigami and Space.
Two sides of the same coin.
