79 Chapter 79

It happened in an instant; the single moment that Kisuke and the others had been waiting for from the beginning.

All around, the shattering of the space before them represented the direct conclusion between the confrontation between Vasto of White and Yhwach who had usurped the power of the Soul King. Hueco Mundo, and the realm of the Soul King's Palace were in shambles, spatial tears leading to the abyss of the Dangai cracking open with the fall of the Kings-

One to the King of White, and one to the Usurper.

In their clash, their respective domains were now falling apart, leaving only the medium between the living and the dead over the human world, and creating a tentative vacuum in space. The stability of the realm was already in question, and this granted the sole opportunity to touch the boundary of the gods, they who dictate their own realities.

Think of it like a rudimentary children's sandbox or a sand-filled beach. Two men had gotten into a decisive bout, and toppled their respective castles of sand until they were in ruins. From the ruins left behind, a child left unbothered by the giants could now dabble in the material used to make the castles in which the other two had formally reigned.

Of course, it all goes to shit if any of the giants could confront the child, but in this instance where the giants no longer occupied their castles, this presented the hidden…uno reverse card.

Kisuke. Focus. Now isn't the time to be influenced by his shop's merchandise.

Glancing up in the air where Yhwach had faded away into motes of spiritual energy, and where the Vasto of White was rapidly plummeting to the ground, it only took an instant to determine the necessary trajectory of deployment.

"You rat-like bastards!"

Hollows and the members of the White faction's members wouldn't fail to notice Kisuke and the others movements, but they were too far.

From the beginning when the Hollows had stormed the Soul King's palace under the protection of the Zanpakuto spirits, the divide between where the Shinigami were, and where the Hollows were, was too wide. Not to mention that Kisuke and the others had been moving discreetly while their attention was fully focused on the battle of giants up high.

Their actions were already set in motion quicker than anyone else.

Kisuke pushed down the rim of his hat and coordinated with Mayuri across from him to set up the counter device he had been collaborating with Mayuri to create; the basis of which was devised through the analysis of the energies unique to the Vasto of White and the Soul King. For instance, both entities could shape and mold a world to their whims, the Vasto of White, Hueco Mundo, and the Soul King, the lynch pin of the present dimension. Beyond the means of creation and energy type, what Kisuke and Mayuri had focused research on was a single pivotal aspect: The enabler.

The power of laws, that which dictates the principles of a given reality.

Kisuke would provide his inputs and insights while Mayuri had fallen off the radar to devote his time and effort into production. The culmination of this research would prove its worth here.

Pulling out a metallic stake and grasping in his hands, Kisuke aimed and hurled it directly onto where the Vasto of White would fall.

"Prong one set, establishing a soul link with existing spirit nodes. Mayuri, hurry."

Opposite to Kisuke, Mayuri clicked his tongue at his former colleague and fellow researcher, but didn't delay knowing what was at stake.

"Deploying," Mayuri pulled out a similar metal stake, and hurled it towards the central node of the world to act as a lightning rod for the Soul King's energy released from Yhwach's death. "Diverting pathways to make-shift vessels."

From the rod suspended in the air, tendrils of web-like spiritual energy shot and anchored themselves to the members of the Zero Squad whose bodies could freely assimilate the energies of the Soul King without breaking down. However, to maintain the scientifical formation Kisuke and Mayuri were setting, the role of the Zero Squad was no different from batteries. If they moved, or acted on their own, the entire formation would fail, and this had already been stressed to them who cooperated for the cause of creating a new 'Soul King.'

Linking with the foundation of the formation Kisuke and Mayuri had set up, a kido pentagram took shape in the form of the stars.

The body of the unconscious Vasto of White was suddenly suspended in the air mid fall at the center.

"Calculating output, eliminating variables, ready to charge," Mayuri planted his feet beneath him and hefted a terminal over his shoulders which he quickly set down. "Activating central matrix. Kisuke, the key."

Nodding, Kisuke pulled out a crystal box and hurled it up high before it rapidly expanded across the entire area, creating boundaries that defined the emergence of a new reality. The prototype version of this was created to make the Fake Karakura town, but was perfected through observation of the Vasto of White's Hueco Mundo, and fluctuation readings of the Soul King's palace.

This time, Kisuke and Mayuri had deployed a make-shift world to encase the Vasto of White in preparation to set him up as a new Anchor and lynchpin to tether the worlds.

The set up was elementary, nothing of real note, but it was out of necessity. Science and development would never be equal to greater beings who govern laws, but it stood to reason that they could touch upon the same plane of rules. The more basic, the likelier the success.

Neither Kisuke or Mayuri focused on something as complex as a series of laws to enforce upon the created space, but instead devoted their efforts only on the concept of 'All is Equal.'

Spiritual energy within the space would be prohibited, making it such that even the drained Shinigami had a fighting chance of repelling the Hollows and remaining Quincy whose arts relied on spiritual energy conversion.

Realistically, it was the only way to even the playing field, and now it was done.

Kisuke and the other Shinigami who had been waiting on standby were the first to enter the deployed space and set up a barricade around the Vasto of White until the process of creating a new anchor was concluded. Shunsui, and the other injured Shinigami were also included in this force, everyone moved into deployment regardless of their present states.

Howls suddenly echoed and reverberated across the battle zone; reddened eyes tainted with varying levels of emotion creating an atmosphere chock full of tension.

Harribel, who was still affected by Askin's death dealing didn't care as her spiritual energy erupted from around her. Her fingers dug into the dirt, her arms straining as she forced herself up, yellow spiritual energy forming the image of a vicious shark cascading over her. It didn't matter to her if her own resistance to her spiritual energy was drastically reduced.

She just didn't care.

Pain was nothing. Loss was eternal.

"Resurreccion…Segunda Etapa."

Near Harribel, various other auras were erupting enmass. Their King, their lord of Hollows was under siege.

Memories flashed of a lone hill of swords and the King who sat upon it for an eternity. He who gave up his ambitions to create a lifeless world suitable for Hollows, Hueco Mundo.

The howl of the Hollows roused the sentiments of the past.

Coyote's features grew bloodshot, soul fire igniting over the visor covering her right eye, Apacci and the others scrambling.

Baraggan and the others immediately disengaged from their opponents, Gerrard and Askin left in a daze at the defeat of their King much like Haschwalth who couldn't accept the outcome.

In any case, they immediately lay siege to the formation Kisuke and Mayuri had laid down, but quickly discovered the ruse behind the formation's set up.

Upon entering the boundary, the set of laws in the formation's jurisdiction immediately took effect, fueled by the power of the Soul King. The domain of 'All is Equal' made it such that the momentum Baraggan and the others carried was immediately grounded. Without the existence of spiritual energy in the space, the powers unique to them were all suppressed, leaving only the physical capabilities of a human.

Spiritual energy fueled the defence of a Hollow's skin, an Arrancar's Hiero, and a Quincy's Blutt Vein. Without it, their former advantage in strength was gone, something the Shinigami felt they could now contend with.

It was only with this realization that it was beginning to set in for the Hollows of the Vasto of White. They'd grown complacent, knowing that their current power and the backing dwarfed the Shinigami's current means. They'd forgotten that wars weren't necessary always won by those with the bigger stick.

"Dammit, so what!? A Hollow's body is still stronger than that of a Shinigami's or humans!" Mila-Rose charged right in towards the Shinigami's defensive lines, quickly followed by Apacci, Sung-Sun, and the others.

Hollows were beings driven by emotion and unfulfilled regrets. They moved on instinct and were undeterred in their goals. The enemy was before them, and that was all that mattered.

Retractable nails retracted, while sharpened Hollow-Bones protruded from the limbs of numerous Hollows charging on behalf of their Lord.

"Brace!" Yamamoto instructed as the Head Commander, Meanwhile, Shunsui and Unohana, acting to defend him from within their defensive lines.

Dull thuds and sickening crunches sounded at the point of impact, bodies flying, limbs tearing, and flesh wrought from bones chewed off by serrated teeth.

The effect of the law, 'All is Equal,' went two ways. The Shinigami no longer had access to their own spiritual energy, and as such were no different from mankind's oldest warriors armed with swords and steel to combat beasts.

In comparison, the bodies of Hollows, even the weakest of them, were primarily enormous.

"Menos forward!" Apacci yelled while choking the life out of a Shinigami, before she tossed him into the awaiting maw of lion-type Hollow. "Trample them!"

Towering giants pressed the assault. Their towering forms caused tremors to travel through the ground with each step.

"Yoruichi!" Kisuke called, his hand reaching for his sword.

"I'm on it," Yoruichi grinned before dashing up the arm of a Menos.

Although she couldn't do much with the limitations of the current space, it didn't mean that the regulatory device Kisuke had equipped her and a few others with didn't provide them with the means to deliver damage.

Reaching the heads of the Menos, Yoruichi tossed several containers into their open mouths that exploded within.

If all was equal in this space, then the devices created through science would show their greatest effect.

"Shoot the fireworks Jidanbo!" Kukaku smoked a pipe atop Jidanbo's shoulder while Ganju was throwing bombs on the other side.

"You go it, lady Shiba!" A firework canon held in Jidanbo's hands was aimed and fired into another group of Menos.

Sung-Sun seethed as she raised the sleeve over her arm to guard her face from the turbulent wind. "Dammit," she bit down on her lips, watching a blur moving from the corner of her eyes.

Coyote.

Sung-Sun watched as Coyote dashed in with lithe movements, striking with the but of her guns, and physically crushing skulls. Even without spiritual energy, the level of Coyote at her base was already beyond a regular Hollow, the best specification akin to a superhuman.

Farther off, swaths of Shinigami being beaten aside revealed Harribel's frigid features plowing through the masses.

Baraggan could also be seen in the distance, his bones strong enough to resist the blades of the Shinigami, leaving him unhindered while his axe brought death on his foes.

Sung-Sun could see that they were making ground, but unfortunately, time was not on their side.

All could see the changes occurring within the formation Kisuke and Mayuri set up. The network of spiritual links was making their way towards Shirou in an effort to tether and imprison him.

"Kill them!" Sung-Sun's features grew twisted, easily matching the ferocity Grimmjow and Nnoitora were dealing with on another front.

No one was saying it, but a feeling of desperation was setting in.

The Vasto of White was the spiritual leader of the Hollows. For him to be defeated by those who would take advantage of his weakened state couldn't be accepted.

It was at this moment while everyone was intensifying their efforts that a swell of blue spiritual light rapidly poured down from the sky.

From within the radiance, a recognizable figure can be seen desperately making her way forward with troubled features.

All had varying reactions, Kisuke and the other Shinigami a nod, the Hollows a quick intake of breath, and as for the Quincy…

T-This feeling. This power.

Haschwalth, Gerrard, and Askin's eyes widened in realization, all glancing at each other with varying levels of consternation and doubt, but still coming to a decision.

In the meantime, the figure rapidly approaching became visible as the spiritual energy around her began to wane the closer she reached her destination.

As the light fully died down, Silent's figure could now be clearly discerned. Oddly enough, she passed Kisuke and the others unhindered, up until she entered the boundary of the formation and lost her spiritual energy, her speed slowing to a crawl. Nevertheless, the Shinigami parted for her under Kisuke's instruction, letting her directly reach Shirou's side where she stood quietly.

Apacci and the others saw red, but couldn't get a word in through the ensuing shouts of betrayal.

For Silent, Shirou, Apacci, and the other Hollows had waged a war with the Seireitei. She was supposed to have been a comrade, and yet by the looks of things now, had she been with the Shinigami all along?

"Silent, you traitor! What do you think you're doing?!" Brans and the other Hollows who had been with the Vasto of White since Silent first joined were incensed.

What did Silent think she was doing?

It was a good question.

Kisuke had contacted her while she was out fighting to reveal a shocking revelation.

"Masaki, now!" Yoruichi urged while helping the Shinigami maintain the defensive line.

In Silent's hands was an item Kisuke had passed to her to be used on the Vasto of White after she'd detailed her circumstances to them. One had to know that everyone was banking on Silent putting consideration for the greater good.

It spoke volumes of the amount of trust Kisuke, Yoruichi, and the others had of Masaki even up till this point that she was left with the key to averting disaster. In her possession was the object at the center of this all. It would act as the pivotal node to the entire spiritual formation.

All Silent had to do was place it on the Vasto of White's body, and the same crystalline structure that had encased even the Soul King would trap the Vasto of White within.

It was all too simple, and not something worth hesitating over if Silent was just the 'Masaki' that Kisuke, Yoruichi, and the others knew, but it was different now. She'd seen and experienced both sides of the same coin.

There is no black and white here.

No good or evil.

Silent did not move despite being present with the opportunity to end everything here.

Yoruichi was the first to notice what was happening. She could tell at a glance that the plan wasn't going to go as envisioned.

Masaki abruptly shook her head and turned around to face everyone.

She couldn't do it. She couldn't do this. Not to the one who saved her, and not to the one who everyone she ever grew fond of in Hueco Mundo relied on. It wasn't right.

Hollow or not, Silent understood Shirou after the time she'd spent in Hueco Mundo. Holding the device in her hands outward, her fingers gradually clasped over it, her grip increasing in pressure much to the shock of the Shinigami.

She was trying to destroy it. By doing so, not only would it remove the threat on the Vasto of White, but also destabilize the formation Kisuke and Mayuri had set up. If the formation went down, and the scales were reverted such that the Hollows could regain their advantage in spiritual energy…it would be a massacre.

"Do you know what you are doing?!" Soi-fon snapped, glaring harshly at Silent. "This is our only chance! They'll kill us all!"

Silent pursed her lips. Whether or not Apacci and the others would have killed them was not certain until they pulled this stunt. Unless Shirou wakes up, Silent could already see Harribel and the others murdering everyone.

Nevertheless, not everyone would be so vengeful. Nel for example would certainly withhold judgment until Shirou's decision could be taken into account. Silent thought the same way.

Therefore, Silent once again tried to shatter the device in her hands, believing in the memories she'd made of her comrades in Hueco Mundo.

Unfortunately, due to the laws in the area, Silent's level of physical strength wasn't enough to instantly break the prism-like structure in her hand.

"Stop her!"

The decision among the Shinigami was decisive, and with a majority still blocking the Hollows at the front, Silent was essentially surrounded on all sides. Worse, she was weaponless, and without the means to draw upon spirit energy to form her armaments as a Quincy, she was practically helpless.

Soi-Fon reached Silent first mostly due to Yoruichi's hesitation to strike at a friend.

Soi-Fon had no such reservation and was moving with the intent of putting Silent down at any sign of resistance.

With her sword drawn, Soi-Fon struck out, but was quickly met with resistance from a massive butcher's blade.

"Isshin," Soi-Fun ground her teeth as Isshin batted Soi-Fon's attack away, forcing her to backpedal to avoid a counterstrike.

"Sorry. I lost her once. I'm not losing her again." Isshin nodded at Silent who blushed and glanced away. At the same time, the sound of metal clanked as Isshin rested his sword over his left shoulder. "Besides, Captain Soi-Fon…my children would kill me if I stood on that side right now."

"Damn right, old man!"

Karin and Ichigo appeared in a gust of flash step and Sonido, both glancing at each other as their spiritual energy was immediately restricted in the formation's area. This was going to be a brawl, but neither of the two shied away from pain to begin with.

"I don't care about who's right or who's wrong, but I know which side I stand on!" Karin said, positioning herself in front of Silent much like Isshin and Ichigo did.

In response, Toshiro and Komamura appeared.

"Step aside, shorty. This really isn't the time," Toshiro growled, knowing what was at stake.

A tick mark formed over Karin's brow at a shorty calling her a shorty, but she didn't lose her composure and stood her ground.

If Kisuke and the others wanted to get to Silent, then it wouldn't be so easy…only that it was.

Suddenly, a blur passed everyone by, a foot kicking Silent in the stomach and launching her away from everyone else who got held up by their opponents.

"Sorry, Masaki." Yoruichi apologized as she landed with Silent isolated and wheezing in front of her a distance away. "I don't want to hurt you anymore. Just give it back."

Silent shook her head again, desperately trying to shatter the device in her hands, and actually meeting with growing success. Cracks were starting to form in the glass as it was fragile from the beginning, prompting Yoruichi to purse her lips in alarm.

Emotional attachments aside, Yoruichi had once been the leader of the Seireitie's Second Division renowned for its Hakudo and covert task force. She was no stranger to ruthlessness when it was required.

Hardening her heart, Yoruichi's features changed from solemn, into icy. If she failed here, everyone would die. She would die. Kisuke would die, and everything as she knew it would be over.

Thinning her lips, Yoruichi began to bound forward, but was interrupted by a thrown sword stabbing into the ground in front of her.

"If you wish to continue forward, I recommend you reconsider," a voice called out to her.

Yoruichi narrowed her eyes as Haschwalth, Gerrard, and Askin silently stood in front of Silent. It was obvious that they were choosing to defend her, much to Silent's own shock.

"Yhwach is dead," Yoruichi gritted her teeth, eyes scanning for an opening she could exploit, but finding none in someone as experienced as Haschwalth. "What goal do you have to intervene now?"

Yoruichi would be right in her assumptions, but not entirely.

Yhwach's final words and demeanors came to the forefront of Haschwalth's mind, and in the moment he sensed Yhwach's own energy assimilating into Silent, he understood.

The old was gone, but the new still remains.

"The will of the King lives on," Haschawlth flourished his cloak, drawing out his personal saber.

Askin and Gerrard mimicked Haschwalth, all intent on defending the legacy of their King.

Suddenly, it was another stalemate, one that was already teetering on the verge of outbreak as Harribel and the others continued to push into the Shinigami's defensive lines.

Growing pensive, Yoruichi could only try to use reason, but even that meant nothing as Silent exerted more force and finally managed to shatter the device in her hands.

As the primary linking piece of the whole formation, the moment Silent shattered the device, a ripple effect spread out everywhere. Space distorted, and the net of spiritual energy began to twist and fray. Shirou, who was at the center of it, was flung to the ground where he lay; the Shingiami nearby gave him a wide berth in fear of rousing him awake. Soon enough, the law of 'All is Equal' enforced in the area would vanish, and the beginning of the end would ensue.

None of the expressions on the side of the Shinigami were good. This was it. It was over.

Shunsui, Yamamoto, and the other Captains could put up a fight with the return of spiritual energy, but against the Vasto of White's enraged forces, Coyote was already a disaster, let alone the rest.

A vacuum was forming in space, destabilizing the entire structure of the present world's laws, and heralding the gradual return of spiritual energy. Already, the trauma of the Fake Karakura town war was rearing its head as purple miasma began to seep out from Baraggan, turning those nearest to him into ashes. Then there were the torrents of pressurized water cleaving through the ranks.

The more spiritual energy began to return, the worse the situation was going to be.

Yoruichi tensed much like Kisuke and the others who were readying themselves for a final battle. However, someone who understood Shirou's sentiments the most could no longer stand to be an observer. It reminded her too much of a certain pansy, and she was no pansy.

"-This is enough."

A voice penetrated through the cacophony of chaos amidst the battlefield.

"Lady spirit," Shunsui called out, revealing the woman walking towards the boundary between Hollow, Shinigami, and Quincy.

It was only by virtue of the fact that the Hollows knew that the lady spirit was one of Shirou's manifestations that they gave pause. For the Shinigami, it was a tad different, as many owed their recovery to this very Zanpakuto spirit to begin with.

"Enough blood has been spilled today," the lady spirit spoke softly, her voice carrying. "Enough is enough."

"As if the Hollows would just stop by words alone," Soi-Fon gripped her sword, the spiritual energy within her gathering in preparation to activate her Shikai.

"By no fault of your own, I presume? Is it truly the Hollows at fault for this, or the prejudice of the Shinigami?" The lady spirit shook her head, Shunsui the only one to look flustered at the accusation.

"It's not the same," Kisuke argued in the calm brought about by the lady spirit's emergence at the forefront. "Noble spirit, can you not tell why this needs to be done?"

"..." The spirit did not answer.

"Balance must be maintained," Yamamoto was the one who stressed this point after Kisuke fell silent. As the man who'd been fighting to maintain said balance throughout his whole life, Yamamoto was most qualified in the Seireitei to speak on its behalf. "Souls depart the living and enter the Seireitei to be cleansed as part of a cycle of death and rebirth. Without the balance of the Seireitei and the Soul King's palace, the souls of the departed would freely wander and never know of peace."

Peace?

One glance at the war path's already carved out by Harribel, Coyote, and Baraggan was enough to question that very definition.

Was it peace to incite conflict?

Obviously, it was a matter of opinion, and the lady spirit had her own.

"The balance in which you all speak of is one of the past built upon by numerous grudges, ideologies, and stances," the lady spirit said, her eloquence exuding the aura of noble regality. "Do you all believe that anything would change by re-establishing it, or would the cycle simply repeat anew?"

Yamamoto fell silent, reflecting on numerous points in his life, and already knowing the answer to the noble spirit's question.

"So then why not make something different that accounts for the prior faults of the other?"

Yamamoto blinked, glancing up sharply at the implied meaning.

"You speak as if that's easily done without even answering how?" Kisuke interjected here, raising the rim of his hat so he could once more assess the Zanpakuto spirit before him.

Once more, Kisuke was forced to admit that the purity and aura she emitted had no traces of evil or deceit. Pure would be the closest comparison. A purity to be yearned even.

"I am that answer," the lady spirit's tone grew solemn, loud yet soft.

From the spirit a warm glow began to emit; an aura of mystery that pervaded and swept across the battlefield, spreading a light that even seemed to douse all anger- even the Hollows giving sudden pause.

The lady spirit clutched an unseen object in her grip, pressing her forehead against it as she spoke the words that defined her existence.

"Legends tell of the wishes of man, engraving into their hearts, visions of stability and order."

A story would unfold here. One that ties into the ancient desires shared throughout history in search of green pastures on the other side.

"Humans live, die, then pass on into souls, seeking a path beyond death."

It was difficult to explain, and even more difficult to comprehend, but the world seemed to unravel into clear threads that touched upon all. Fighting stopped, minds cleared, and all focus seemed to narrow onto the figure of the spirit's radiating light.

"I am an ideal, firm yet noble, representing a concept yearned and spoken of upon a dying fire."

The wind began to stir, blowing away dark clouds to reveal the warmth shining through.

"Having gained the concept of sentience, I will light the way to the paradise depicted from era to era."

What was unseen in the spirit's hands began to take shape and form.

"Hear of it, and know of an unending tale heralded by man and spirit alike."

A sheath became visible, the resting place of all blades. In a single motion, that sheath was offered up, and then broken down into particles of golden energy that paved a road to a distant land.

"That which wards away fears."

The world erupted in colors, the road opening to reveal the scenery beyond.

"That which spins the tale of a story leading to eternity."

Swaying reeds and idyllic hills gave way to a paradise beyond the Seireitei, the Rukongai, and the Soul King's Palace.

"From the body and soul."

The words resonated within the young and old.

"From the heart and mind."

Gradually, the swords began to lower, claws retracting, tensions easing. The visions of paradise depicted were different to all who lay witness.

"Convictions together with dreams, all point towards the distant isles."

Every hero had their resting place. Every man and woman, their desired end. Her role was simply that of a guide, a vessel to traverse the expanse.

You speak of balance, as if it was the only one of its type.

You speak of order, as if the world as it was, was bereft of it.

"I am the hallowed scabbard that opens the way to the wishes of man safeguarded within utopia!"

Your burdens.

Your grudges.

Lay them down to rest.

"Ever fleeting, ever encompassing, the dearest sentiments of all are housed within!"

Eternity awaits here.

"Avalon!"

The sheath was activated, its spiritual concept tying it as the gateway to a paradise.

Silence ensued as all stared upon the tranquil fields of a new world created above in muted wonder. Wheat fields could be seen along with the bluest of skies.

"Where there is a Hell…there is now a Heaven for the lost and departed," the lady spirit spoke, a soft smile playing on her lips. "Is this not an acceptable balance?"

It was indeed.

The points made about spirits left to wander without the Seireitei or the Soul King's Palace were rendered mute if Avalon could be maintained without the need for a lynchpin. Unlike the old balance, this new balance was free of the limitations of the old.

Even Hollows, as malefic as they were made out to be, were not residents of Hell. It would be more accurate to describe them as the lost, neither damned nor yet deserving of Heaven with the holes left in their hearts.

There was no power structure or higher authority involved in this heaven. Instead, like the ancient stories, it would be a true place of rest for the weary and deserving.

With this, there should no longer be a source of conflict. She could see it in many of the Shinigami's eyes, Shunsui even tipping his straw hat to her, the most relaxed he'd ever been since this all began. Not to mention Shunsui's boundless gratitude for what the lady spirit did for Ukitake.

Sadly, the tranquility founded on the premise of a genuine solution was not in the best interests of all.

Squelch.

…!

The lady spirit stiffly glanced down at herself, having not guarded in a situation that had seemingly reached its conclusion. She stared numbly at the blade pierced through her chest, watching the expressions of those before her twist from shock then outrage as the key to compromise was stabbed again and unceremoniously kicked into the ground.

Ichibei's impassive features were all that could be seen in place of the lady spirit, the other Royal Guards by his side. Having siphoned the energy of the Soul King to fuel Kisuke and Mayuri's formation, they had regained their former powers if not more in their former role as batteries. It was one thing to be idle when Kisuke and the others were aiding them in their goals, but it was another when their goals no longer aligned.

"You bastards!" Shunsui could no longer endure this, raising his swords as he roared out in aggrievement. "What have you done?! She was the answer!"

"No. She was the problem." Ichibei cared not if his words only further pushed Shunsui over the edge. There was no need to explain here. "Senjumaru, hurry."

With the Shinigami, Tosen gave Komamura a look. Vengeance would have been the answer and averted all this. Who was wrong now?

Komamura couldn't meet Tosen's blind eyes. Perhaps only the blind could truly see? The irony.

"Understood," Senjumaru acknowledged Ichibei's instruction. She inclined her head and focused on restraining all those who would pose a risk to the recreation of a new Soul King.

Layers of heavy cloth immediately spread out from Senjumaru as the origin, rapidly gaining in speed, mass, and power before bundling around Harribel, Apacci, Grimmjow, Ulquiorra, and the other Espada. Other bands of cloth formed a wall to ward off the Hollows, and even fellow Shinigami.

As for Coyote and Baraggan, they're treatment was different.

Tenjiro directly moved to suppress Coyote while Senjumaru focused a majority of her attention on Baraggan, completely surrounding him in a sphere of spiritual cloth.

"You think mere cloth can contain me?" Baraggan's words bled with arrogance, but this time that arrogance was unfounded.

"It is not 'mere' cloth," Senjumaru narrowed her eyes. Her cloth was woven from the eternal flesh and bone of the Soul King. It would never rot or lose its durability, especially now that it was at full power.

At the very least, Barragan wouldn't be getting out of it anytime soon.

This just left the other Hollows, but without the Espada, they weren't much of a threat. The only other variable was-

Clang!

Nimaya shielded Senjumaru from a blow that would have broken her concentration on binding Baraggan and the others.

From Senjumaru's shadow, Shunsui pulled back his blade as Nimaya knit his brows at him.

"You are making a mistake," Nimaya tried to reason, but Shunsui was sick of the hypocrisy.

"I am doing what's right," Shunsui answered, taking off his hat and tossing his pink Haori to his vice-captain.

"Siding with the Hollows?" Nimaya rebuked.

"Realizing that Aizen wasn't so far off with your bullshit!" Shunsui advanced, knowing that if he could disrupt Senjumaru, the power of the Hollows would erupt.

Meanwhile, Ichibei's full attention was on Shirou as he began making his way over. With the Vasto of White out of commission, this current task was a simple one. Having lived in the age when the Soul King was first sealed, Ichibei knew the process best.

"Hikifune, begin preparations," Ichibei ordered. "I'll start the sequence here."

Ichibei discarded the sword he'd used to stab the lady spirit, and took up his massive brush to write the character for 'seal' on his right hand. This was a type of sealing script that enabled him to begin the process of assimilation. Similar to what Yhwach had done to fuse the worlds, this assimilation would tie the Vasto of White's existence into the set rules of the proper world order.

All Ichibei needed to do was lay the seal on the Vasto of White's body and change the meaning of his existence through a process of renaming the base properties.

This was Ichibei's right as the Smiling Monk who calls the Real Name.

Reaching his arm forward, he was immediately taken aback as a violent force rebuffed him, forcing him back several meters.

Glowering, Ichibei glanced up at the interloper, only to hum in thought. "It's you…"

The lady spirit stood before Ichibei, her skin bruised and bleeding, yet healing at a visible rate. The scabbard that she'd been holding prior had been replaced.

A single thought came to Ichibei's mind.

A dual spirit Zanpakuto.

"I am a sheath," the lady spirit's eyes hardened into steel. "Yet a sword all the same."

Motes of golden light rose up to form a blade held in the lady spirit's hands. Its metal shone with the light of the stars, its craftsmanship surpassing the realm of mere mortals.

"Nimaya, what is the name of that sword?" Ichibei called out into the distance where Shunsui and Nimaya had frozen upon sighting the lady spirit up on her feet.

At Ichibei's instruction, Nimaya glanced over at the spirit.

Nimaya had realized it several times during the course of this war, but many of the Zanpakuto spirits he'd seen were new even to him. However, as the creator of Zanpakuto, Nimaya's insight into them was second to none in the Royal Guard.

Names had properties, power.

It was understandable why Ichibei had asked, and yet, Nimaya was rendered silent.

"..."

"Nimaya, an answer?" Ichibei pressed, growing impatient when everything was all set to end here.

What could have possibly caused Nimaya to react in such a way?

In the end, Ichibei would get his answer.

"Promised Victory."

A Golden Sword of the Victorious.