Chapter 256 – 256 ⥤ Yhwach’s Trust

Yhwach had a nightmare.

In his dream, he was cruel and cold-blooded, following the prophecy of the “Kaiser Gesang” (Praise-Song of the Sacred Emperor): 900 years to regain his heartbeat, 90 years to recover his consciousness, 9 years to restore his power, and 9 days to conquer the world.

Everything proceeded smoothly until he reached the final, most crucial step.

After regaining his power, he led his army to invade Hueco Mundo, using it as a springboard to attack Soul Society. There, he established a new Wandenreich and Wahrwelt (True World Castle).

With his power of The Almighty, he killed his old nemesis Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, then led the Schutzstaffel to storm the Soul King Palace, where he defeated Ichibē Hyōsube — who had once plotted against him.

He then slew the Soul King and absorbed its power.

At that moment, he became the most powerful being in existence, with nothing to stand in his path.

Yet just when victory seemed assured, the unexpected occurred — an arrow of unknown power pierced his heart, sealing away The Almighty.

In the black torrent, an indistinct figure appeared, delivering an unstoppable strike.

And thus — the King of the Quincy, stripped of his invincible power, fell on the path to victory.

Yhwach opened his eyes in the profound darkness, a blood-red gleam flashing across his pupils. Though most details of the nightmare had faded, the scene of his demise remained etched in his mind.

Without hesitation, he summoned his most trusted advisor, the current leader of the Wandenreich: Jugram Haschwalth.

Like living things, the shadows parted as an elegant man with golden hair strode into the darkness, approaching the throne and kneeling respectfully on one knee:

“Your Majesty.” Jugram showed no surprise at Yhwach’s sudden awakening.

“Haschwalth, how fares the empire?” Even before his most trusted subordinate, Yhwach kept silent about his nightmare — perhaps still uncertain of its meaning.

“Your Majesty, the empire is thriving.”

Without hesitation, Jugram provided a detailed account of the Wandenreich’s recent developments, particularly emphasizing Hashirama Senju’s contributions.

The empire’s growth and prosperity, he explained with abundant praise, were inseparable from this newly appointed Vice-Captain of the Sternritter.

Of course, with good news came bad news.

Gerard Valkyrie of the Schutzstaffel, bearer of the Soul King’s Heart, had not returned. Jugram suspected he had either been killed by Shinigami or encountered an unknown powerful enemy.

Additionally, at Gremmy Thoumeaux’s prison, the shadow domain that enclosed it had been forcibly destroyed, leaving his whereabouts unknown.

Yet compared to the transformation Hashirama Senju had brought to the empire, these setbacks seemed trivial — at least in Jugram’s estimation.

In the darkness, Yhwach remained silent.

Though he appeared contemplative, he was actually searching through his memories of the dream, seeking any trace of information.

Who was Hashirama Senju? Had such a person existed in the future he’d glimpsed?

Finding nothing, he breathed a sigh of relief, his grave expression softening. After all, a nightmare was merely a dream.

After a moment of silence, his deep voice echoed through the darkness:

“Gerard Valkyrie and Gremmy Thoumeaux are dead, their powers returned to me. My heartbeat has fully revived, and my consciousness steadily recovers. Soon, this time in shadows will end, and the new world’s arrival draws near.”

{T/N: Although Gerard’s Schrift comes from the fact that he is the Soul King’s Heart, everything that he is and his Quincy powers came from Yhwach, and that’s why he can take it back, a considerable portion of it.}

Jugram nodded slightly, “Congratulations on regaining your heartbeat, Your Majesty.”

He felt little surprise at Gerard and Gremmy’s deaths.

The Wandenreich’s current prosperity meant these troublesome Knights’ absence would hardly affect their trajectory. With Yhwach present, he could always create more powerful Sternritter when needed.

Besides, they still had Hashirama Senju, whose strength alone matched an entire Schutzstaffel.

If Yhwach were fully awakened, Jugram would even dare to challenge Shigekuni’s might.

With General Hashirama, we can defeat Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto!

In the darkness, Yhwach continued, “As you say, Hashirama Senju is indeed a valuable talent for the empire. When I next awaken, bring him to me…”

As his words faded, the heavy presence in the shadows gradually calmed, dissolving into nothingness.

During his slumber, Yhwach remained blind to the outside world; his only window was Jugram, the sole person who could reach him.

Of course, this very isolation allowed him to sleep undisturbed, steadily regaining his heartbeat, consciousness, and power…

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Looking at the brain floating in the semicircular container, Akira was reminded of the brain in a vat.

{T/N: The “brain in a vat” is a philosophical thought experiment about simulated reality. It explores whether our experiences could be artificial, similar to how our consciousness might be deceived. The movie “The Matrix” offers a perfect illustration of this concept.}

Gremmy had been undeniably powerful — his ability to overwhelm multiple Arrancar through sheer force proved that.

Yet his power had limits. His imagination was finite, and lacking Akira’s extraordinary intellect, his downfall was inevitable.

After their intense battle, Gremmy’s imagination had been exhausted. His imagined body collapsed completely, leaving behind only this brain.

According to Aizen, this brain was the second most interesting life form he had encountered. Though now unconscious, it still possessed remarkable vitality and research potential. He could establish hundreds of research projects based on its properties.

“What’s the first most interesting life form?” Akira caught the key words immediately, his sharp gaze turning sideways.

Aizen merely gave him a bland look, offering no answer.

Clearly, someone lacked self-awareness.

Throughout Soul Society’s million-year history — including the records from Hueco Mundo and the Wandenreich — someone as extraordinary as this husky was truly unique.

From sacrificing his own Zanpakutō to inscribing Kidō patterns, maintaining close ties with the Soul King’s Right and Left Hands, infiltrating Soul Society’s upper ranks while ruling as a God-King in Hueco Mundo, and even securing a position as Vice-Captain among the Quincy…

If Akira were to receive an invitation from the Zero Division to join them in the Soul King Palace, Aizen wouldn’t be surprised in the least.

After all, that person’s existence was the biggest variable.

Akira had no interest in studying the brain in a vat — this wasn’t his field. He’d rather return to Las Noches and strengthen his bonds with his Arrancar officers.

He realized he’d lately been too absorbed in the Wandenreich’s pleasures, neglecting his Arrancar army’s mental and physical development.

If they couldn’t handle someone like Gremmy Thoumeaux, how could they follow him into battle, punching Yama-jii and kicking Yhwach?

Time for some special training.

Akira pondered as he walked, quickly leaving the laboratory.

With no one else around to interfere, Aizen could finally let his mind wander and delve into deeper research and experiments.

With a subtle manipulation, another container materialized before him, holding a crystal-clear jewel. It emitted a dark purple glow, with countless meteor-like patterns flowing within — as if containing an entire universe.

The Hōgyoku was his long-ago creation, its inspiration drawn from forbidden soul experiments that partially involved Akira.

Through multiple refinements, the Hōgyoku had steadily evolved toward its intended form.

As Aizen gazed at the jewel floating in the container, his thoughts turned to Kisuke Urahara — a man perpetually at the mercy of a certain someone’s demands.

While Kisuke vocally protested his heavy workload, Aizen had observed that he was clearly the type to say one thing but mean another.

Far from despising the work, Kisuke often found joy in it. Simple tasks could be easily completed or delegated, but the complex research — developing gravity rooms, implementing a certain Captain’s wild ideas, or studying Spiritual Body transformation — these challenges brought true satisfaction.

Akira proposed the topics, and Kisuke brought them to life through research. For a scientist, there was no greater joy than exploring the unknown and creating something new.

The various improvement proposals for the Hōgyoku came from that workhor—ahem, diligent and hardworking fellow.

Upon testing, Aizen discovered these proposals were remarkably precise, optimizing the Hōgyoku’s properties significantly. They reduced risks during Hollowfication and Arrancar experiments while enhancing the subjects’ resulting power levels.

Yet these were merely surface improvements. The true breakthrough lay in refining the Hōgyoku’s deeper powers.

Aizen had discovered that the Hōgyoku could not only transcend soul boundaries — granting greater power to Shinigami and Hollows alike — but could also enable experiments previously thought impossible.

Its capabilities reminded him of something Akira had described: the Dragon Balls, supposedly one of the greatest divine miracles, capable of granting any wish — even building a massive Akihabara Land amusement park!

Though Aizen didn’t quite understand what this meant, knowing that person’s nature, such a park was surely questionable.

Where the Dragon Balls dwelt in fantasy, the Hōgyoku remained grounded in reality.

Yet after witnessing Gremmy Thoumeaux’s abilities, Aizen found himself reconsidering many previously abandoned proposals.

Perhaps… with the aid of imagination, the Hōgyoku could be optimized beyond all known limits.

Behind his glasses, a glimmer of wisdom flashed in his brown eyes.

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“Everyone, my heart aches deeply!”

On the high platform, Akira wore an expression of profound pain, as though Kisuke had abandoned him forever.

“I believed under my leadership you would evolve and grow stronger, reaching the pinnacle of the world. Yet after merely a few years, you’ve grown complacent. If you cannot handle a single Quincy, how can you follow me into battle?”

Below the platform, the Hollows hung their heads in shame, not daring to meet his gaze.

Their God-King had granted them new life as Hollows, built them a new world, and even refined their Hollow instincts’ negative emotions. They had failed to meet their God-King’s expectations, truly letting him down.

“To help you increase your strength,” Akira clapped his hands, motioning for the Hollows to look up, “I have decided to begin special training. But first, we must assess your power levels. So… let the killing begin!”

Soon, in the vast arena, two figures stood facing each other from afar, their powerful Reiatsu erupting wildly, visible light surrounding their bodies.

Tier Harribel VS Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck!

“Face me, Harribel.” Nelliel’s gaze was determined, “I absolutely won’t lose to you!”

Harribel nodded, showing no sign of backing down.

Initially, she had resisted joining Las Noches, but living here had given her unprecedented peace of mind.

No more worrying about constant attacks, no more participating in the ugly cannibalism of their kind, no more fearing what the future might hold. She needed only to remain by that person’s side, serving as his invincible blade.

For this, Harribel had every reason to win this battle.

The tension was ready to burst. Understanding each other too well, both immediately released their Resurrección. After a brilliant flash of light, two transformed figures appeared in the arena’s center.

Seeing this, Akira was thoroughly satisfied.

Excellent, he thought. Both were first-rate in form and appearance.

Harribel possessed healthy skin, an impressive figure, and emerald eyes that held an aloof coldness, yet carried a unique allure.

Nelliel was even more extraordinary — in her Resurrección state, she was particularly devastating to certain specialized opponents.

Lanzador Verde and Cascada collided in spectacular fashion, creating deafening explosions that echoed throughout the arena. Neither fighter could gain the upper hand.

Both had once held the rank of Espada No. 3, and now they remained evenly matched in both Reiatsu and combat prowess.

In their final clash, the impact was catastrophic — white energy surged across Las Noches’ sky in all directions. When the dust settled, both warriors lay defeated.

A draw was a fitting end to their first battle.

Next came Coyote Starrk versus Baraggan Louisenbairn.

Unlike the fierce competition before them, these two had become the epitome of laziness. Their halfhearted exchange of blows was painful to witness.

Akira had no choice but to step in and discipline them both personally.

The crowd in the observation stands erupted with thunderous cheers.

Las Noches’ first ranking battle stretched across three days, with countless Arrancar participating in multiple matches. Through these grueling fights, some Arrancar transcended their limits, achieving unprecedented levels of power.

Surveying the impressive gathering of Arrancar before him, Akira smiled with satisfaction and raised his right hand.

“Everyone, whatever challenges lie ahead, whatever powerful foes we face — as long as you follow my lead, nothing can stop us!”

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep