Chapter 152: Falling

Zanka no Tachi—
The strongest and simultaneously the most dangerous Bankai, surpassing even his own Koko Gonryu Rikyu.
Its usage carried the terrifying risk of total annihilation for the entire Soul Society.
Yet, Chojiro felt no fear at this moment.
Because the true Yhwach stood right before him; this meant there was zero chance of Zanka no Tachi being stolen by the enemy, and as long as his own Koko Gonryu Rikyu remained unused, there would be no problem.
This was precisely the meaning behind the message he had earlier instructed 3rd Seat Okikiba to convey to Yamamoto Shigekuni.
The moment he sensed Yhwach's spiritual pressure, Yamamoto Shigekuni would absolute not remain indifferent.
Thus, the worst-case scenario could be averted.
As for himself, Chojiro had never felt any apprehension.
His other Zanpakuto—Shizuyu—was known to no one else save for Aizen imprisoned within Muken. If he used it at a certain juncture in battle, Yhwach's defeat would be set in stone.
"Come, Yhwach—"
Drawing the Zanpakuto from his waist, Chojiro walked fearlessly toward the man renowned as the strongest enemy to date.
"Let us settle this."
"Hmph—"
A cold scoff escaped Yhwach's lips, seemingly mocking Chojiro's overestimation of his own abilities. Raising his blade, Yhwach launched the initial attack.
"Clang!"
Yet Yhwach's strike was far weaker than Chojiro had anticipated. Perhaps the first blow was merely a probe without full force. With a gentle deflection using his blade, Chojiro easily parried and calmly evaded the attack.
"What is this? Has your offensive power diminished quite so much over a millennium?"
"That was merely a test."
Withdrawing his sword, Yhwach abruptly lunged forward, fiercely swinging his blade with heavy momentum, forcing Chojiro to abandon a direct confrontation and resort to Flash Steps to dodge.
"Boom!"
The front wall of the Head Captain's private quarters was reduced to dust by Yhwach's swing, shattered by the explosive flames.
"Ha, your strength remains undiminished. Indeed, this is the real you."
"——Interesting."
Yhwach turned around, entirely unconcerned about what kind of enemies the destruction of the wall might draw. After all, members of the Wandenreich Sternritter were scattered all over the Soul Society by now, and they were utterly incapable of inflicting any real damage upon him.
"A millennium ago, our paths crossed but once. Since when have you..."
"Witnessed my true power?"
"......Your tongue has grown remarkably sharp as well."
That was true. The sole time he had laid eyes on Yhwach a thousand years ago was when he accompanied Yamamoto Shigekuni to the World of the Living. His opponent back then had been Sydlytz; although Chojiro had triumphed with overwhelming force, he had been granted no opportunity to cross blades with Yhwach himself.
In Chojiro's memory, the ultimate Quincy should have been none other than Mohamad Dijedala, the one who had single-handedly breached the Seireitei only to be nearly instantaneously killed by Yasumoto Shizukazu's Bankai.

"Swish!"
"Boom!"
His weaponless left hand suddenly thrust forward, and a dense arrow of Reishi shot forth without a moment's warning, conjuring a bow of such formidable might entirely out of thin air!
"Mm..."
Recalling Gonryumaru, which was now lightly dusted with soot, Chojiro covered his mouth and nose with his hand. If he were to inhale that debris now and let it impair his condition, he might as well just resign himself to doom.
Yet whatever he could anticipate, Yhwach naturally took into account as well.
Taking advantage of Chojiro's momentary distraction, Yhwach charged forward once more with his blade raised. To seize upon every single misstep of the enemy was the fundamental trait possessed by the King of the Quincy.
"Clang!"
"Boom!"
Though he managed to parry the direct slash with Gonryumaru, the sheer force behind Yhwach's blow sent Chojiro crashing straight through the wall with a thunderous bang, blasting him out of the Head Captain's private quarters.
"Utterly pathetic."
A triumphant Yhwach stepped out through the breach in the wall, looking down at the pile of rubble that buried Chojiro with a ferocious smile curving his lips.
"The Soul Society of a millennium later is even weaker than I anticipated..."
"Absurd to the extreme."
Lowering his blade, Yhwach lost all interest in lingering further with Chojiro. His primary objective brought him here; his pressing business now was to seek out the entrance of the Central Great Underground Prison situated beneath the First Division barracks.
"Crack-boom!"
"!"
"Screech—"
Turning around to catch the lightning arrow shot from the ruins behind him, Yhwach narrowed his eyes dangerously. He had known all along that the previous blow could not possibly claim the man's life, but why were there always so many ignorant fools who didn't know when to quit?
Especially whenever he was dealing with the Soul Society—
"Oh? Blocked, is it? No matter, I never expected it to succeed from the outset..."
Clawing his way slowly out from beneath the rubble, Chojiro casually shoved aside the heavy stone slab resting atop him. Looking rather disheveled, he wore an uncanny smile as he stared at Yhwach, in whose hand his own lightning still crackled.
"It begins now—"
"Crackling!"
"!"
"Prison of the Impoverished Lightning Road"
"Snap!"
Instinctively attempting to fling away the lightning in his hand, Yhwach found he was already a fraction too late. The mass of electrical energy spread rapidly outward from his palm, instantly engulfing his entire body and transforming into a cage-like structure.
"......Did you truly believe something like this could trap me?"
Surveying the ceaseless flashes of lightning surrounding him, Yhwach gave a scornful laugh. You expect this trinket to hold me? How laughable...

"Trapped? Not at all. That was never the intention. This was merely preparation to ensure my final strike wouldn't miss its mark."
"..."
"Have you felt it, Yhwach?"
Brushing the dust from his shoulders, Chojiro walked smilingly toward Yhwach.
"Deep within your own heart, something you have lost—something that should be of paramount importance to you."
"!"
"That was the most crucial sensation that allowed you to survive a single blow from Genryusai-dono's Bankai a thousand years ago—"
"Your 'fighting spirit'."
"!"
"Screech!"
Before Yhwach could react, Chojiro slashed across his chest with Gonryumaru, its blade-tip flashing with electricity.
It was a fatal wound, a guaranteed kill with a single strike.
"Puff!"
Vomiting a mouthful of blood, Yhwach stared at Chojiro before him in absolute disbelief.
To have something sto-len away from the very depths of his soul, and then to be dealt a fatal blow while caught off guard.
Without even resorting to his Bankai.
How could this be?
Intelligence reports should have contained no record of his Zanpakuto, 'Gonryumaru', possessing such an ability. Was this the result of insufficient information?
No...
It was not a matter of flawed intelligence.
It was an overwhelming, crushing deficit in sheer power—
Struck down and unable to remain standing, Yhwach fell backward. The force of his fall caused his gushing blood to splatter across the ground, blooming into a scattered flower of crimson.
Defeated, he had—
"......I am... truly sorry..."
Darkness gradually encroached upon his vision, and the world faded slowly into obscurity.
"Lord Yhwach......"