Chapter 410: Farewell Talk (Grand Finale)
Ichigo stood in mid-air, looking in astonishment at the two figures locked in relentless combat.
"Mr. Mikami… is so strong!"
Hearing this, Aizen, standing nearby, chuckled softly:
"This move… you can actually use it too."
"Me?"
Ichigo showed a stunned expression.
Aizen nodded:
"This move is a secret technique passed down through generations of the Shiba Clan."
"Each generation's user, depending on their Zanpakutō, experiences slight variations in ability, name, and other aspects."
"That move of Shiba Isshin's is called 'Getsuga Tenshō'."
"Although you haven't learned it yet, considering the ability of the Zanpakutō, its final manifestation should be quite similar to Isshin's."
"Both Satoru and I were very interested in this technique, so we exchanged the training method for it with Isshin."
"What you're seeing now is Satoru's ultimate technique."
"Its name is... Final Annihilation."
Upon hearing this, Ichigo looked down at the sword in his hand.
"Ultimate technique..."
He murmured, repeating the name.
Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, he sharply turned his gaze toward Aizen.
"Mr. Aizen, judging by the name of this ability, using it must have severe consequences, right?!"
Aizen hummed in acknowledgment:
"It's called the ultimate technique precisely because it unleashes the user's lifetime of power in an extremely short burst."
"After using this move, the user loses all their power and becomes an ordinary soul."
Ichigo's eyes widened.
He glanced at Aizen, confirming he wasn't joking, then swiftly turned back to look in Satoru's direction.
In the sky, Satoru's figure flickered continuously. Each time he appeared, he delivered a fierce punch to Yhwach, blasting him apart and sending him flying backward.
But, after flying only a short distance, Satoru would instantly teleport behind Yhwach's trajectory and punch him again, altering his path.
Yhwach's body was pummeled by Satoru's relentless blows, tracing a continuous, intertwined red and black trail through the air, forming an abstract sketch.
Each time he was nearly shattered, Yhwach used the power of The Almighty to restore his flesh.
Watching Satoru pursue him relentlessly, leaving no opening, Yhwach grew agitated.
His power was not infinite.
In fact, no one in this world possessed infinite power.
Under Satoru's constant onslaught, his awakened power was draining away like a collapsing dam.
A deep weariness began to well up within him.
He continuously summoned various large spirit bows, bombarding Satoru with terrifying barrages, conjured holy arrays to try and trap him, and activated Blut Vene to its fullest, attempting to block Satoru with an external defensive layer...
Yet, in the face of Final Annihilation's power, none of his efforts yielded any effect.
Pummeled by blow after blow of multiple impacts, Yhwach closed his eyes in humiliation.
Now, only one tactic remained.
To outlast him.
Commonly known as... wearing down the old man!
Satoru's sudden surge in power must be due to some secret technique.
Such a technique must have a time limit!
Once its effect ends, he'll be hit with incredibly severe side effects!
All he needed to do now was minimize his own consumption, focus entirely on defense and regeneration, and endure until Satoru's skill cooldown, securing final victory!
Sure enough, after attacking Yhwach for about a minute, Satoru's movements suddenly slowed.
The golden light in his pupils faded, returning to ordinary black eyes.
Then, his power began to seep out from his skin, leaving his body.
Yhwach felt a surge of joy.
This was the moment!
He opened his hand, preparing to condense a spirit blade, to show Satoru what it meant for offense and defense to reverse!
But, at that very moment, he heard Satoru shout in front of him:
"Sōsuke! Are you ready?!"
What?
Yhwach was taken aback.
Not far away, Aizen, who had been watching the battle all along, let out a cold chuckle.
"Do you think you know who you're speaking to?"
As his words fell, a terrifying surge of Reiatsu suddenly erupted from his body!
A pair of white wings unfurled behind him.
Then came a second pair, and a third!
Six metallic silver-white wings spread out from his back.
The wings were not attached to his body but hovered behind him like Cirno's.
Next, a golden vertical eye opened on Aizen's forehead.
On his chest, where the Hōgyoku resided, a chasm-like crack split open, with light and shadows swirling inside like the depths of a nebula.
At its very center, the Hōgyoku's glow shimmered quietly.
Aizen raised his hands and examined his form.
To prepare for this day, he had quietly accumulated power for over a century, all for this single breakthrough.
Finally, during the ultimate battle, he unveiled this move!
True Hōgyoku Fifth Stage!
Originally, at the Hōgyoku's fourth stage, Aizen had already found the path to the fifth stage.
By allowing the originally weaker Hollow power to overwhelm the Shinigami power, causing himself to undergo extensive Hollowfication, he could enter a new realm.
However, this idea was firmly rejected by Satoru.
Come to think of it, Satoru used a reason similar to today's back then... something about losing looks equaling losing strength.
Every time he recalled this baffling theory, he wanted to crack open Satoru's head and see what absurd thoughts were swirling inside.
Though unable to comprehend that fool's logic, he still embraced the tolerance of a wise man, halted his original exploration of the fifth stage, and sought a new path instead.
In the end, he finally completed this new form.
It must be said, that Satoru fellow, by sheer accident, gave the right advice.
The True Hōgyoku Fifth Stage was far stronger than the fifth stage he had originally envisioned. The balanced transcendence of power allowed him to better perceive the laws of the world.
If one had to say, the current fusion with the Hōgyoku could very well be called the sixth stage!
The moment he broke through the stage, Aizen's gaze sharpened, and he charged straight toward the battlefield.
Now, he possessed sufficient strength to participate in this battle!
At the same time, Satoru's rapidly declining Reiatsu suddenly surged once more—
[Detected an increase in the bound target "Sōsuke Aizen's" strength. Automatically synchronizing cultivation progress… Synchronization complete!]
His Reiatsu surged, violently surged!
In an instant, he transformed from a patient on the verge of death to a level equivalent to the sixth-stage Hōgyoku Aizen!
The moment he grew stronger, Satoru grinned at Yhwach.
A sense of foreboding flashed through Yhwach's mind.
Sure enough, the next second, Satoru's pupils turned golden once again.
Final Annihilation, reactivated!!
Feeling Satoru activate his ultimate technique again, Yhwach's composure finally shattered.
With Final Annihilation reactivated, Satoru's power became even more terrifying than before.
Yhwach finally realized he could no longer continue like this.
If he remained passive, Satoru would truly defeat him before the Three Realms collapsed.
If that happened, all his preparations over the millennia… no, far more than millennia, would vanish like bubbles!
Gritting his teeth, he decided to fight with everything he had, just like Satoru.
If you can burn yourself, so can I!
Yhwach took a deep breath, preparing to unleash the true power of Vollständig.
As the progenitor of the Quincy, his Vollständig was the ultimate version.
Unlike the Sternritter, who could deactivate it at will, his was similar to Uryū Ishida's during the Rukia rescue arc—it would disperse all his power!
After using this move, he would revert to a helpless child, unable to speak or see, forever living in darkness, just as he was at birth.
But… as long as he survived, someday, someone would accept his gift and offer everything to him.
With this thought, he made his decision.
After enduring a few more punches from Satoru, Yhwach seized an opportunity and suddenly withdrew all his Reiatsu, channeling it toward his heart!
Before Satoru's next punch landed, he would enter a completely new stage!
But just as he was ready to crush Satoru with his renewed form and power, the scene before him suddenly changed.
Satoru, who had been some distance away, was now right in front of him?
That fist, brimming with terrifying power, was already upon him!
Suddenly, he seemed to realize something.
With the corner of his eye, Yhwach glanced at Aizen beside him.
The latter curled his lips into a smile directed at him.
The power of The Almighty flashed an image in Yhwach's mind.
It was from before the battle began, when Aizen had shown him his Zanpakutō.
That sword… it had a problem…
It had distorted his perception of time and distance?!
He had thought there was enough interval between Satoru's two attacks, so he withdrew all his defensive power to activate the Quincy's final form.
But in reality, the imagined attack interval never existed!
Yhwach's eyes widened, his face contorted with rage and despair.
"No! Satoru! You…"
Before the words could even fade, Satoru's fist had already landed heavily on his face.
"Sixfold Force."
"Annihilation Tyrant Fist!!"
In an instant, Yhwach felt as if the world had come to a standstill.
His Almighty eye, capable of seeing everything, ceased to function.
All he could see was an endless expanse of darkness.
So that's how it is...
Is this the reason why, when I used The Almighty to probe the future earlier, I saw nothing at all...
Among countless futures, my only path was death.
Satoru... I will remember this name.
When I return once more, it will be your end!
Boom!!
Under the gaze of everyone present, Yhwach's body exploded into a mist of blood.
Satoru slowly retracted his fist, his eyes revealing a hint of exhaustion as his entire body went limp.
Aizen moved to his side, supporting him.
With a light chuckle, Aizen looked at Satoru, who seemed too weak to even keep his eyes open, resembling a drowned dog, and said:
"How does it feel to recklessly use power far beyond your limits?"
"Not bad, not bad, it's manageable."
Satoru mumbled groggily.
Aizen shook his head in amusement.
Though his body was limp, his mouth remained stubborn.
But what left Aizen speechless was that after a brief moment of weakness, Satoru actually regained some strength.
With a determined gaze, he walked toward the mass of black energy left behind after Yhwach's violent demise.
Suddenly, the Priest flashed into view, blocking his path.
Satoru narrowed his eyes.
"Kunihiro, what is this?"
Seeing Satoru's hostility, the Priest quickly waved his hands:
"Satoru, I'm here to help you."
"Help me?"
Satoru scoffed.
Although Yhwach was dead, the Three Realms were still collapsing.
If they didn't quickly take away the wedge power left by Yhwach to halt the collapse of the Three Realms, all their earlier efforts would have been in vain.
Under Satoru's unfriendly gaze, the Priest quickly explained the reasons behind his actions along the way.
After listening, Satoru showed a look of realization.
The Soul King's duty was to serve as the wedge of the Three Realms.
However, a million years of self-imprisonment had left the Soul King deeply weary of this throne.
All he desired was liberation.
To find a successor, it had to be someone who, like him, possessed the complete authority of the Soul King.
Before today, the only ones qualified to inherit this position were Satoru and, to a large extent, Ichigo Kurosaki.
Normally, he could simply have Satoru inherit the position and allow himself to reincarnate.
But during his prolonged, one-sided interactions with Satoru, the Soul King gradually changed his mind.
He did not want Satoru to end up like him, sealed within the "throne," enduring endless years of despair.
Thus, the Soul King conceived a solution that would satisfy everyone.
He guided Yhwach to ascend, absorb his power, and become the new wedge.
Then, he had Satoru defeat Yhwach, who had already become the wedge, seal him into the crystal, and take over the role of maintaining the operation of the Three Realms!
Satoru stroked his chin, frowning.
"Having Yhwach become the wedge... that's not a bad idea."
"But from what I sensed earlier, that guy Yhwach isn't completely dead, is he?"
"Even if he's sealed in the crystal, isn't it possible for him to awaken again over time?"
"By then, having fully fused with the Soul King Power and become the deity of this world, if he were to turn against us, he would be far more difficult to deal with!"
Thinking about Yhwach regaining consciousness after becoming the linchpin and turning into an even stronger boss than before, Satoru felt this plan was highly unreliable.
The Priest scratched his head.
He knew Satoru had a point, but aside from Yhwach, there truly was no more suitable candidate at the moment.
Seeing the Priest remain silent, Satoru stated bluntly:
"Kill Yhwach, and let me do it."
"I will inherit the Soul King Power and become the linchpin."
Hearing this, the Priest frowned:
"Then, will you be sealed within the throne?"
Satoru shook his head:
"Becoming the linchpin doesn't necessarily mean being sealed. After I become the linchpin, I can simply refrain from using this power and return to Seireitei to live my quiet life, right?"
As he spoke, he began walking toward the power left behind by Yhwach.
But the Priest raised his hand once more, stopping him.
"Satoru, things aren't as simple as you say."
"Becoming the linchpin of the world means gaining authority over all three realms."
"In other words, becoming a true 'deity'!"
"Even the Soul King, who was willing to sacrifice himself for the world and was transformed into his current state by the Five Noble Clans, couldn't guarantee he would remain true to his original intentions over the long years. That's why he chose self-sealing."
"Though in all the years we've known each other, I trust your character, time can change a person."
"Rather than a completely unrestrained deity free to roam the world, I'd rather bet on Yhwach not awakening again."
Hearing this, Satoru fell silent.
Indeed, even he couldn't claim that after gaining divine power, he would forever remain unchanged.
If one day he suddenly became impulsive and, like Yhwach, decided to reshape the world according to his own desires, by then, there might truly be no one across the three realms capable of stopping him.
Not even Ichigo Kurosaki could likely do it.
But he was also unwilling to stand by and watch as all the Soul King Power converged into Yhwach, waiting for this ticking time bomb to explode.
Could it be that he should take advantage of the lingering effects of the Final Extinction and forcibly seize it?
Such villainous behavior didn't align with his righteous and noble image...
But there was no time left to hesitate.
The collapse of the three realms was imminent.
Though he was in the Soul King Palace, the fear and despair of countless souls from the Soul Society, the Living World, and Hueco Mundo surged toward him like a tidal wave.
As Satoru pondered, Aizen spoke up:
"Satoru, I have a proposal."
Upon hearing this, not only Satoru but also the Priest and the others turned to look at him.
The Priest was even more anxious about his proposal than Satoru.
If Satoru were truly provoked and decided to seize power by force, he wasn't sure he could hold him back.
Under everyone's gaze, Aizen said:
"The power of the World's Wedge can be entrusted to Satoru."
"Of course, Hyōsube also has a point. Someone with the authority to alter the world, if allowed to roam freely across the Three Realms, would pose a threat to everyone."
"Therefore, we can establish a contract bound by the essence of the soul."
The Priest raised an eyebrow.
As one who wielded the authority over "names," he was particularly sensitive to the word "contract."
"What are the terms?"
He wore a cautious expression.
If the contract forbade Satoru from using the Soul King Power to alter the world, then the contract would be meaningless.
After all, using the Soul King Power to maintain the stability of the Three Realms was also a form of altering the world.
But if the conditions were relaxed—forbidding Satoru from using the Soul King Power to make certain degrees of changes to the world—it might leave loopholes to exploit.
The boundaries were difficult to define.
By the time everyone had worked out the specific terms, the Three Realms would have collapsed hundreds of times over.
However, the condition Aizen proposed startled him:
"The contract I propose is that after obtaining the Soul King Power, Satoru Mikami must leave this place and go to another world."
"With his transcendent power, which allows him to freely travel to other parallel worlds, he can journey freely elsewhere."
"This way, he can serve as the World's Wedge, maintaining the stability of the Three Realms, while having no reason to interfere in the affairs of the Three Realms."
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked.
Yamamoto frowned and said:
"Are you exiling him?!"
The Priest scratched his head.
He saw no issue with Aizen's suggestion.
If such a contract were truly signed, Satoru, unable to return to this world, would essentially be no different from being sealed away.
The problem was, why would Satoru ever agree to such terms?
Satoru was also taken aback.
Was the paradise he had painstakingly built in the Three Realms just gone like that?
His home was here, his family and friends were here—where could he go?
Although these people existed in parallel worlds as well, they weren't the ones he knew.
He looked at Aizen with confusion.
He saw Aizen's gaze, firm and calm, quietly fixed on him.
"Satoru, this is for the sake of the Three Realms."
"For the world you love, the world where the people you cherish reside."
Hearing this, Satoru tilted his head.
Theoretically, there was nothing wrong with these words.
But it didn't sound like something Sōsuke Aizen would say.
He seemed to understand something.
As if to dispel his final doubts, Aizen said calmly:
"Don't worry, you won't be leaving alone."
"A long time ago, I wanted to see for myself what lies beyond the heavens."
"I will walk this path with you."
After staring at Aizen for a moment, Satoru nodded.
"I understand."
"Priest, let's sign the contract!"
...
...
Seven days later.
Seireitei, Sōkyoku Hill.
Standing at the highest point of Seireitei, Satoru quietly gazed at the scenery before him.
During that great calamity, Seireitei had suffered immense damage, with many buildings destroyed.
In just seven short days, even in the Shinigami world with its supernatural powers, only a small portion had been rebuilt.
Most places still lay in ruins.
Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of the council, not only the Seireitei but the souls of the entire Soul Society had been protected as much as possible.
In a sense, this destruction could also be considered a good thing.
After this battle, the overall reconstruction of the Soul Society could finally be put on the agenda.
The newly rebuilt Soul Society would undoubtedly become a modern city no less advanced than the Living World.
If Konoha could modernize in ten years, why couldn't the Soul Society do the same?
Satoru chuckled to himself.
Then, he turned around and looked behind him.
One figure after another approached him.
Aizen, Isshin, Ichigo, Ichimaru Gin, Kaname Tōsen...
Yoruichi, Suì-Fēng, Rangiku, Unohana, Bambietta...
Even the Arrancars had come here, to this crucial location in the Seireitei.
At the very end, Yamamoto, who had donned the First Division Captain's Haori once more, walked over with the remaining captains.
The terms of the contract with the Priest had given Satoru a final seven days.
Now, those seven days had passed, and he had to leave this world.
This departure was a final farewell.
Looking at the crowd, each with different expressions, all staring at him, Satoru scratched his head.
"Hey, everyone, have you eaten yet?"
Hearing this, many couldn't help but roll their eyes.
Yamamoto Shigekuni stood silently in place.
As a teacher, he had failed to protect his disciple.
Even though Satoru had done nothing wrong, he still had to suffer exile.
He felt anger and sorrow at his own incompetence.
The members of the Mikami Group stepped forward one by one, wanting to leave with Satoru.
Then, they were dealt with one after another.
"You idiots, if you all leave with me, who will guard the Seireitei? Will my teacher be left here as a commander without troops?!"
Satoru casually smacked Ichimaru Gin, who was standing closest, away, his tone exasperated.
For a moment, everyone fell silent.
After handling the men, Satoru walked over to Yoruichi and the others.
He wanted to take the girls with him.
After all, given how close they all were now, there was no point in being formal anymore.
If they left him, could they really "remarry"?
That kind of thing was unacceptable—at least not until... bah, not even then!
Seeing Satoru approach, Yoruichi snorted.
"What, are you here to invite me to come along?"
Satoru nodded.
"Yoruichi, Suì-Fēng, Bambietta..."
Halfway through, he looked at the others.
After a moment's thought, he continued:
"Rangiku, Lie, Nel, Tier Harribel."
"May I invite you to come with me?"
Hearing Satoru's words, the girls all smiled.
Rangiku cheered, jumping over to hug Satoru's arm.
All her efforts over the years had finally paid off!
The others also nodded immediately, happily accepting Satoru's invitation.
Hinamori, Akane Shizuku, Nozomi, Nemu, and the other girls grew somewhat anxious.
Nemu was the first to step forward:
"Lord Mikami, please take me with you."
"I can serve as a maid, taking care of your daily needs... This is also Lord Mayuri's wish."
Akane Shizuku and Nozomi also expressed their desire to leave together.
Hinamori blushed, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped forward as well.
Hisana Kuchiki secretly nudged her younger sister.
Rukia widened her eyes and looked at her sister.
Could she... also speak up and join them?
Aizen stood to the side, expressionless, quietly observing the scene.
Only after Satoru, feeling both amused and exasperated, gathered his large entourage and prepared to leave did Aizen finally step forward.
"I'll come along too."
Hearing this, Satoru was momentarily stunned, then raised the corner of his mouth and nodded.
Indeed, traveling to countless other worlds would be a long and perilous journey.
Even as a being at the level of the Soul King, he couldn't guarantee absolute safety.
Only with Sōsuke accompanying him could he truly feel at ease.
He walked up to Yamamoto.
"Heh, Sensei, never expected this, did you... The First Division captain you worked so hard to hand over has now returned to you."
Looking at his grinning disciple before him, Yamamoto opened his mouth to speak.
In the end, he closed his eyes, turned around, and faced away from Satoru.
"Go."
"Take care of yourself out there."
Hearing Yamamoto's words, Satoru pressed his lips together tightly.
Bowing deeply to Yamamoto's back, he then turned his gaze to Kisuke Urahara, silently signaling that he must take good care of their teacher, or else...
Well, there wasn't much he could actually do otherwise.
But this time, Urahara didn't joke around. Instead, he bowed seriously to Satoru.
After everything was settled, Satoru slowly took a few steps back.
Seeing his movement, everyone couldn't help but step forward together.
Satoru shook his head.
"Don't worry."
"Though I'm leaving now... as the new Soul King, I will keep my eyes on this world and visit you often."
"I can hear everything you say to me."
"Though I cannot respond, our wills shall remain united forever."
With these words, under everyone's watchful eyes, Satoru led those departing with him through the transparent barrier of the world and vanished from the peak of Sōkyoku Hill.
That day, the Seireitei was a quiet Seireitei.
...
...
Satoru brought everyone to a place above the stars.
Beneath his feet, countless glowing orbs shimmered.
Each one was a world.
Before obtaining the Soul King's power, even as a Transcendent, he could never have stood from such a perspective, overlooking various worlds.
But now, he was different from before!
Taking a deep breath and gathering his emotions after bidding farewell to everyone, he looked at the people behind him.
"Alright, it's time to decide... where shall we go first?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Aizen spoke up:
"Let's go back first."
"Go back? How?"
Satoru turned to look at him.
He saw Aizen open his hand, revealing a crystal-like object.
Inside the crystal, a swirling mass of black mist rotated.
Seeing this mist, Satoru was first stunned, then exclaimed in surprise:
"Is this... the power left behind by Yhwach?"
Aizen nodded and threw the crystal into the endless void.
Watching his actions, Satoru was somewhat confused.
After discarding the crystal containing Yhwach, Aizen spoke:
"The true signer of the contract shall bear his sins, forever unable to return to our world."
"As for you... having no connection to the contract and merely inheriting the Soul King's power, of course you can return anytime."
As he spoke, far away in the Soul King Palace, the contract scroll sealed away by the Priest quietly underwent a change.
At the end of the scroll, the name "Satoru Mikami" gradually twisted and transformed.
Finally, it became "Yhwach."
Hearing Aizen's words, Satoru was initially puzzled.
But then, as if suddenly realizing something, his face lit up with joy—
"So that's it... it's Kyōka Suigetsu!"
"Sōsuke, you bastard, when did you use it?"
Aizen smiled.
"When did you ever have the illusion that I wasn't using Kyōka Suigetsu?"
Hearing these familiar words, Satoru couldn't help but laugh.
He turned and looked back at the world they had just left, the one that belonged to them.
Though they had only just departed... well, I, Satoru Mikami, am back!!
With the darkness beyond the world at their backs, they stepped into the light.