Chapter 253 – 253 ⥤ His Majesty Will Soon Arrive at His Loyal Empire

The vast Wandenreich fell into a deathlike silence.

Almost all Quincy stared toward the source of Reiatsu emanating from the wasteland.

With the impenetrable Shadow Area forged by the almighty Yhwach, Shinigami attacks should have been impossible. Yet these two intense spiritual pressures felt overwhelmingly familiar.

The Crown Prince, Jugram Haschwalth!

The Combat Instructor General, First Vanguard Captain, Vice-Captain of the Sternritter, and the beloved and admired Supreme Commander, Hashirama Senju!

Like doomsday itself, chaos swept across the land. A suffocating pressure washed over everyone’s senses, as if they were adrift on a stormy ocean. Despair filled their hearts.

The two Reiatsu clashed like colliding mountains, their violent waves reaching Silbern a hundred kilometers away.

What exactly happened!?

Could it be… Had the Captain and Lord Haschwalth turned against each other? How had it come to this?

Countless speculations arose.

The radicals believed Hashirama’s purpose for joining the empire had always been impure — he aimed for His Majesty’s throne. Now that his power had reached its peak, he was ready to reveal his ambition: defeat Jugram and seize control of the Wandenreich while Yhwach slumbered.

The conservatives, however, thought the radicals weren’t radical enough.

What seizure? What ambition? What control?! He was merely taking back what had always belonged to him!

Now, everyone had to choose sides.

Would they follow the diligent and dutiful Crown Prince, Lord Haschwalth? Or would they stand with the beloved and revered Captain, the newcomer who had risen to prominence?

The Quincy exchanged glances, all seeing the fervor and excitement in each other’s eyes.

What was there to hesitate about? They would choose their Captain who treated everyone equally — no, the great Lord Senju!

First capture the First Tower, then take the Second and Third Towers.

Let the flag symbolizing Lord Senju fly high above Silbern!

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⤫ Vollständig: Barbarriel ⥤ Complete Holy Form: Thunder of God! ⤬

Candice activated her Holy Form, sprouting thunder wings from her back. Moving like lightning across the sky, she immediately left Silbern upon sensing the collision of Reiatsu, rushing toward the depths of the wasteland.

Unlike those Quincy who could only talk big, she was truly prepared to annihilate anyone who opposed Akira — even the Empire’s Crown Prince.

Having spent years in the Wandenreich where people were treated as expendable resources, how could she not cherish finally finding someone who respected her, stayed close to her, and treated her sincerely?

Even at the cost of her life, she would never let anyone harm the Captain!

Lightning flashed in Candice’s eyes as golden electric arcs coursed over her body. White waves erupted behind her as her speed reached its limit.

Yet as she passed over a rising hill, she spotted someone moving even faster. Burning with intense flames, the blinding crimson nearly dyed the sky.

Through the heat-distorted air, she could make out Bazz-B’s fierce yet conflicted expression. After a moment’s thought, Candice understood why.

According to rumors, Bazz-B and Jugram were once close friends before their ideologies diverged and they went separate ways. Yet even with the rift between them, their friendship wasn’t easily erased.

Now that Bazz-B had formed a friendly bond with Captain Senju, he had become the most conflicted person in this battle.

Former friend or current friend — that was the question.

Shortly after they arrived at the battlefield, others gradually came as well. Most were Sternritter members who were close to Akira, such as Meninas, Askin, Candice, and Bambietta.

But the battle raged on. Dust and waves filled the sky as heavy Reiatsu intertwined like two beasts locked in mortal combat, each inflicting deep wounds upon the other.

Everyone stood transfixed by the scene before them. This display of power proved why he deserved to be Captain — this was their true strength.

Though they had known of Jugram and Akira’s might, witnessing it firsthand made them grasp their own powerlessness. These two fought on an entirely different plane of existence.

The weaker Knights, like the newly promoted Candice and Bambietta, felt like small boats on a raging ocean during the explosive clashes, threatening to capsize at any moment. Even the residual waves of power exceeded their limits.

Yet they refused to leave, their eyes fixed determinedly on the battlefield’s center, ready for combat. Many shared their resolve, gazes locked on the epicenter of the Reiatsu storm.

If Hashirama showed even the slightest weakness…

The turbid Reishi in the air gathered like arrows ready for release. Everyone moved in perfect coordination, drawing in the surrounding Reishi while activating both Blut and Vollständig.

Boom—

A tattered figure burst from the dust cloud like a meteorite, crashing hard onto the cracked wasteland.

Candice moved to act but Meninas stopped her.

Reishi formed the words, “Wait, that’s not Hashirama.”

As Candice’s puzzled expression formed, a familiar maniacal laugh cut through the air. Through the settling dust, she saw a figure emerge.

“Kehehehe, Jugram is useless, Yhwach is foolish, it should be me…”

Spotting the circle of onlookers surrounding the battlefield, Akira swallowed his words mid-sentence, drawing a sharp breath.

What was this?

Could it be… Had he been exposed?!

Contemplating the consequences of discovery, his expression turned fierce.

Dead men keep the best secrets. For his stepson’s plans to proceed smoothly, the time had come for righteous sacrifice!

As he plotted how to eliminate all witnesses without alerting the Wandenreich, the others wore complex expressions.

Their Captain stood before them, his upper body bare, perfect muscles covered in dust. His crystalline form emanated a faint Reiatsu glow, branch-like patterns scattered across it radiating suffocating pressure.

Remembering who he had just fought, many wore shocked expressions.

Alas! The Crown Prince, Jugram Haschwalth…

Had fallen!

While some grieved, others couldn’t help but smile. Everyone knew Jugram’s strength was unmatched in the empire.

Yet even he had fallen to Captain Hashirama. The meaning was clear:

Captain Hashirama was truly qualified to lead the empire to prosperity!

Bazz-B bared his teeth, feeling both surprised and relieved. While Jugram’s thinking remained incomprehensible to him, the Captain was refreshingly straightforward.

With the prince defeated but alive, Bazz-B would be spared from making impossible choices.

He flashed to the impact crater to help up the disheveled Jugram.

Seeing his condition, pity crossed everyone’s faces. The once-elegant Crown Prince and Grandmaster of the Sternritter now resembled a delicate maiden who had faced a brute’s rough handling.

His clothes were in tatters, his body covered in burst wounds and stained crimson with blood. Compared to the still-vigorous and energetic demon before them, the contrast was stark.

The outcome was clear as day.

“Captain, why did you engage in such an intense battle?”

Hearing Candice’s question, Jugram was about to answer when he realized her gaze wasn’t directed at him. Instead, she was looking at Akira, who was displaying his Vollständig.

So the Vice-Captain was the true Captain in their hearts.

Jugram couldn’t help but feel deeply defeated. Recalling the recent battle, a bitter smile crossed his face.

It seemed that even with His Majesty Yhwach’s power, he still couldn’t become the empire’s strongest. Perhaps only someone naturally powerful like Hashirama could truly be the empire’s pillar.

“Just a training session.” Akira explained, spreading his hands, “Since I just mastered the Vollständig, my proficiency is low, and I couldn’t control my strength well during the earlier attempt. Things got out of hand by accident.”

He chose to help maintain Jugram’s dignity.

That guy was a good person. Though somewhat indecisive, this didn’t diminish his fundamentally good nature. If he could choose between friendship and loyalty, his life would surely change.

Just like his ability, The Balance. On either side of the scales lay loyalty and friendship, and he tried to keep them perfectly balanced.

However, he had overestimated himself and underestimated the weight of these choices. In the end, he paid the price.

Of course, if he chose friendship, Jugram would stand against him. They would have to fight when that time came.

To be honest, Akira didn’t want to see that happen.

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Jugram Haschwalth was defeated by Hashirama Senju!

When this news spread throughout the empire, it caused an uproar. So Captain Hashirama was truly the strongest!

Rumors began spreading through every street and alley. Claims that “The Captain is the people’s choice” and “Commander Hashirama will soon ascend to the throne” became commonplace.

Even more outlandish rumors suggested that Yhwach hadn’t awakened because he feared Hashirama’s power and was avoiding an inevitable battle through continued sleep.

Some said there were actually two Quincy ancestors — one was Yhwach, and the other was the great Captain Hashirama.

Most outrageous of all, some Quincy claimed that Hashirama was the one who had defeated Yhwach in the past, and he had come to the Wandenreich to finish that unresolved battle.

Others weren’t sure, but Jugram was quite angry when he heard these rumors.

“That guy…” In the depths of the palace, after reading the reported rumors, he let out a deep sigh, “How could he possibly be a Shinigami? These rumors are far too absurd.”

Thinking back to that day’s battle, Jugram would swear on Yhwach’s soul that he had never seen a more pure-blooded Quincy.

Blut Vene and Arterie, Reishi manipulation, mid to high-level spirit techniques, the Vollständig’s final state, and the Schrift { W }. If someone like that could be a Shinigami, then perhaps there were no pure Quincy left in the world.

“I don’t care about his identity.” Another voice echoed in the palace, “But Hashirama Senju’s current prestige undoubtedly affects His Majesty’s position in the empire. I cannot allow this to continue.”

Following the direction of the voice, a dark-skinned man wearing a green double-horned cap with his left eye closed stood in the shadows, his expression calm and composed, as if stating an established fact.

The Captain of the Schutzstaffel, Lille Barro.

He had grown increasingly irritated. The already small Schutzstaffel now missed Gerard, while Pernida spent all day following Akira around like a pet. They had completely lost the dignity befitting the Schutzstaffel.

They were His Majesty Yhwach’s personal guards, superior even to the Sternritter — how could they debase themselves like this?!

If not for the fact that Hashirama was also a Sternritter member, Lille would have unleashed “The X-Axis” and taken the shot.

Blast him away without hesitation!

“Barro, you’re being too extreme.” Jugram frowned, his voice carrying displeasure, “I’ve seen all of Hashirama’s contributions to the empire. His prestige is well-earned.”

Lille gave a long look at the man sitting on the high seat, said nothing more, and turned to leave the First Tower’s palace.

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Inside Laboratory Three of the Research and Development Institute.

Looking at the scrolling data on the screen, Szayelaporro displayed an innocent smile.

“Lord Hashirama, we’ve developed a method to breach the prison’s outer spirit techniques. We can package it together with the remaining Reishi barriers.”

Akira grinned, acknowledging the Institute’s efficiency.

Though incomplete, given the Wandenreich’s current technological development, either Aizen or Szayelaporro could easily achieve dimensional superiority over it.

Aizen added from the side, “The specific plan remains unchanged — fix the Garganta crossing point at the deepest part of the Fourth Tower, use the Reishi disruption agent to destabilize the Shadow Area, and open the Garganta. Then set the destination point to Hueco Mundo.”

Finally, Akira grinned, clapped his hands, and gave the crucial summary:

“Let’s do it!”

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep