Chapter 708 This Moment, Like That Moment

"Matsumoto!"

At noon, deep within the 10th Division's barracks, Captain Toshiro's roar exploded once again, just as it had before the great war nine years ago.

And this time, the 10th Division's members didn't even bother to look up, continuing with their own work.

They were completely numb to it.

Rangiku had definitely slipped off somewhere to drink and slack off again, leaving all the division paperwork for the Captain to handle alone.

No matter how much Toshiro yelled, those documents would still be completed one by one, and life would go on.

Although Rangiku seemed flighty and lazy, those who had been in the 10th Division long enough knew a deeper truth.

Their Lieutenant had been stuck at the Shikai level for a very long time.

Having served as Lieutenant for decades, with seniority exceeding that of some current Captains, she had never been able to achieve Bankai.

This made Rangiku often feel that even trying was meaningless.

Coupled with her relationship with Gin gradually drifting apart over the years, she had completely given up.

But no one knew that the real reason Rangiku couldn't achieve Bankai wasn't a lack of talent or effort,

But that part of her soul had been taken a century ago by Aizen to create the Hogyoku.

This directly meant that not only would she never achieve Bankai, but even her lifespan would be affected.

This was the true reason Gin had spent over a century as a mole beside Aizen.

And no one in the Seireitei noticed that the shadows beneath the Gotei 13's barracks walls were slowly spreading in strange patterns.

Suddenly, figures in blue-white knight robes, with five-pointed star cross insignias on their backs, emerged from those spreading shadows.

Their insignia immediately identified them: the Sternritter.

The strongest personal guard under Quincy King, Yhwach. Each member possessed combat power surpassing Captain-class.

The man standing at the forefront wore a pure white cloak, his long golden hair reaching his waist, his expression cold.

His gaze swept over the layers of Seireitei barracks. Then he uttered one word in a flat tone: "Execute."

With his command, these mysterious figures in blue-white robes scattered, transforming into streams of blue-white light that vanished into the Seireitei's streets and alleys.

Their orders were to kill every Shinigami or Arrancar they saw, leaving none alive.

This was the first decree issued by their king, Yhwach, upon his awakening.

This moment, like that moment.

Just as nine years ago, Toshiro, who had been miserably reviewing a mountain of division paperwork in his Captain's office, felt those unfamiliar Reiatsus erupt across the Seireitei. His expression changed dramatically.

Toshiro kicked open the window behind him.

When he landed on the highest lookout of the 10th Division's barracks, he saw Reishi converging out of nowhere all over the Seireitei.

Those light particles compressed rapidly in the air, then exploded violently within a second, forming massive pillars of blue flame detonating simultaneously across the Seireitei.

That was Reishi-condensed flame!

A special attack method created by Quincies forcibly extracting and concentrating Reishi from the surrounding environment.

Massive explosions, accompanied by scorching flames, shot into the sky, blowing several buildings to pieces in an instant. Countless Shinigami and Arrancars living in the Seireitei were sent flying by the shockwaves.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack—!"

After nine years, the Seireitei's alarm bells once again screamed across the city with their piercing wail.

And the shock Toshiro felt now was even greater than when Makoto had led the Hollow Army against the Seireitei nine years ago.

He truly hadn't expected that after Makoto had become the new Soul King ruling the three worlds for nine years, anyone would still dare to rebel.

'Did they have a death wish?'

'Who was it?'

"Captain! The enemy is—"

Below, a 10th Division's member drew his Zanpakuto in panic, looking up to shout at Toshiro on the rooftop.

But before he could finish, a blue-white Reishi Arrow came from nowhere, piercing his heart.

Blood sprayed into the air. The member fell with a look of shock.

Toshiro's pupils contracted sharply.

That attack just now was a Quincy's Heilig Pfeil!

He had no personal experience fighting Quincies, but that woman named Masaki under Makoto had demonstrated this technique in the great war. And that woman could also Hollowfy.

He couldn't be mistaken.

Toshiro drew Hyorinmaru in a flash, turning toward the direction from which the Heilig Pfeil had come.

On the roof of a half-destroyed building across the way, a man in white robes, with a prominent scar at the corner of his mouth, was lowering his Reishi Bow, looking back at him with an icy stare.

Toshiro gritted his teeth. "You dare attack my subordinate... Do you know the consequences?"

A berserk Reiatsu erupted from his body, cracking the tiles beneath his feet.

The man across showed no change in expression, simply introducing himself unhurriedly: "I am 'I' of the Sternritter... Cang Du. Our Wandenreich will replace the Soul King and rule the three worlds."

But Toshiro couldn't be bothered with his introduction.

In his rage, he skipped all probing and released Hyorinmaru's Bankai in one breath.

"Bankai: Daiguren Hyorinmaru!"

Ice crystal wings exploded behind him. The freezing Reiatsu swept outward like a storm, coating the walls of several nearby buildings with thick ice shells.

And across the Soul Society, similar scenes played out simultaneously.

"Quincies?"

Captain Sui-Feng of the 2nd Division narrowed her eyes at the man in knight robes who had appeared silently before her, radiating an eerie pressure.

In her understanding, the Quincies had all perished nine years ago in that mysterious mass death event.

How had so many suddenly appeared?

Her battle instincts were screaming alarms.

The Sternritter before her, bearing the Schrift 'K', BG9, stated flatly, "You're a Captain too? I'm lucky. I don't have to go looking for them one by one."

Hearing this, the corner of Sui-Feng's mouth curled into a dangerous arc.

She untied her Captain's Haori, revealing her sleeveless Shihakusho.

"You talk like you've already won. Our new Soul King has plenty of freaks under him. If I catch you and hand you over, those guys will be thrilled."

As the Captains engaged the Sternritter one by one, the regular members and Arrancars who had settled from Hueco Mundo also quickly fell into chaotic battle with the accompanying Quincy soldiers.

"Reap, Kazeshini!"

"Growl, Haineko!"

"Roar, Zabimaru!"

Seated officers and Lieutenants released their Zanpakuto without hesitation. The multicolored Reiatsu lit up every corner of the Seireitei.

The Captains, and even Captain-class combatants, also joined the fray.

"Drift Away, Tsuyuri!"

Kanae, who had not resumed her Captain's position after returning from Hueco Mundo, stood on the battlefield as an ordinary support unit, facing the Sternritter Bazz-B. She released her Bankai without hesitation.

A blizzard of wisteria petals swept toward that man with the flamboyant rooster comb.

Admittedly, Kanae's Shikai and Bankai were visually very similar to Byakuya's Senbonzakura.

Only Byakuya's petals were pink cherry blossoms, while Kanae's were closer to wisteria purple.

"To think I'd face such a girly Bankai!"

Bazz-B sneered, suddenly raising the Sternritter medallion on his chest.

The front of the medallion glowed with a blinding light, aimed at Kanae and the sea of wisteria petals.

The next moment, the countless wisteria petals vanished without a trace.

Kanae's pupils contracted slightly.

This scene was remarkably similar to Aizen using Muramasa to turn the Gotei 13's Zanpakuto's spirits against them nine years ago.

But she could clearly feel that this was completely different from Muramasa's ability.

She could still sense her Zanpakuto's presence, but she could no longer feel its Bankai.

And across other battlefields, similarly despairing scenes were unfolding simultaneously.

Toshiro stared with his blue-green eyes.

In disbelief, he watched the ice crystal wings that should have been his, now slowly unfolding behind his opponent.

"How is this possible? My Bankai, it's..."

"Surprised? Your Bankai is now in my hands."

A flicker of mockery passed through Cang Du's dead fish eyes. "Though I don't really like using Shinigami power, using it to kill its original owner is still quite amusing, isn't it?"

With that, he raised his hand. Hyorinmaru's cold energy coalesced into a form Toshiro knew all too well in his palm.

Cang Du directly unleashed Daiguren Hyorinmaru's Bankai technique, [Ryushoka]. A massive ice dragon roared toward Toshiro.