Chapter 698 Zanka no Tachi!

A massive flame slash, carrying heat capable of burning through even the air itself, roared forward, dyeing the clouds above the Seireitei a rolling crimson.

Makoto didn't retreat a step. He raised his hand and drew a line in the air before him... Yomotsu Hirasaka.

A pitch-black, mosaic-like rift silently opened in the space before him, swallowing that flame slash that could have incinerated everything to ash.

Then, Makoto jumped down from Pochi's head and patted the massive guard dog's lowered head, signaling it to go do its own thing elsewhere.

Pochi let out a low, thunderous growl, wagged his tail, and turned to find his own target on the battlefield.

Makoto steadied himself and asked Yamamoto unhurriedly, "Are you sure about this, old man Yamamoto? You know what fighting me means."

The implication was clear... wasn't he afraid his abilities would be completely erased?

During the night raid decades ago, Makoto had erased Ennetsu Jigoku from existence right before his eyes, terrifying the people of the Soul Society.

In response, Yamamoto's aged face showed not a flicker of wavering.

"You think that will make me afraid of you? Don't be naive."

Even he had to admit that Makoto's ability was indeed extremely troublesome.

But that wasn't enough to make him back down.

This strongest Shinigami of a thousand years didn't even fear death, so why would he fear his abilities being erased?

Hearing this, Makoto didn't attack immediately. He suddenly glanced toward Aizen and said, "In my homeland, there's a saying: 'When eating persimmons, pick the soft ones.' It means you should deal with the weak first. Old man, do you think I'm weaker than this guy Aizen?"

Although Yamamoto's earlier slash had a massive range, Makoto could clearly tell that it was aimed at him, with Aizen only incidentally caught in it.

The Captain-Commander let out a cold snort. "I just find you a bit more detestable than him."

Hearing this, Aizen couldn't help but reveal a meaningful smile.

Regardless of the outcome, allying with Makoto would at least ensure that the process was never boring.

With Makoto around, just the endless surprises and entertainment along the way was already worth the price of admission.

Makoto was also speechless.

But in reality, Yamamoto was lying with his words.

The real reason was that he wanted to take care of Makoto, the more troublesome enemy, while he was still relatively healthy.

If he fought Aizen first and had his energy drained by that crafty man, then turning to face Makoto would leave him with almost no chance of victory.

"Bankai!!!"

Yamamoto held nothing back.

The flames on his blade abruptly transformed with a roar that shook the heavens.

All the flames, as if tamed by an absolute will, converged back into the blade.

The once ancient Zanpakuto's blade turned pitch-black, like charcoal. There were no more open flames on the blade, but the air around it visibly warped.

Zanka no Tachi!!!

In an instant, not just the Seireitei, but the temperature of the entire Soul Society became scorching hot.

Whether it was the Shinigami and Hollows fighting fiercely on the plaza, or Yukino and her group in the Rukongai, everyone felt their throats go dry.

Looking down at their arms, they were horrified to find their skin visibly losing moisture, becoming shriveled and loose. Their lips began to crack with fine bloody lines.

It was impossible to imagine how hot the blade's temperature was.

It was the temperature of the sun's core.

"Take this, boy—!"

Yamamoto let out a thunderous roar. The muscles in his arms suddenly bulged, raising Zanka no Tachi high, then brought it down in a single slash.

"East: Kyokujitsujin!"

The first form of Zanka no Tachi's Bankai.

All the flame's heat was concentrated at a single point on the blade's tip, completely vaporizing anything it touched at the molecular level.

The sky-covering flame slash condensed into a slender, dazzling crimson blade of light the moment the blade fell, like the first ray of dawn tearing through darkness, pouring toward Makoto.

"Everyone, fall back!"

Makoto's order was absolute.

Beam, Harribel, and the others exchanged glances, then withdrew their attacks without hesitation.

The next moment, Makoto's body was completely engulfed by the crimson light of Kyokujitsujin.

There was no scorched blackness from lingering flames around him, only an absolute vacuum left by vaporized matter.

But instantly, that sky-covering Kyokujitsujin was erased without warning, as if it had never existed.

When everyone looked again at Makoto's position, they saw that he had already transformed.

Black Chainsaw Form. His pitch-black scale armor was now layered with a cold white bone armor, the symbol of Hollow power perfectly fused with the Chainsaw Devil's shell.

Resurrección!

The Arrancarized Black Chainsaw opened his abyssal maw filled with fangs. A dark red glow lit up deep within his throat... Cero!

A beam of energy, tearing through space, roared toward Yamamoto.

At the same moment, Yamamoto shouted, "West: Zanjitsu Gokuin."

The second form of Zanka no Tachi... transforming himself into an incarnation of the sun, his entire body shrouded in scorching flames reaching fifteen million degrees.

Any physical attack approaching his body would be instantly vaporized by this heat field. Even Makoto's Cero would find it no easy task to penetrate this Zanjitsu Gokuin.

"Come on—!!!"

The strongest Shinigami of a thousand years let out another thunderous roar.

The dark red Cero and the blazing white Zanjitsu Gokuin collided in mid-air. The light from the point of impact bathed the entire Seireitei in daylight.

The moment the light dissipated, both figures had already charged at each other. Four chainsaws and one blackened blade clashed wildly in that small space.

Each collision unleashed a shockwave capable of leveling everything around them.

The clash of their Reiatsus turned the sky of the entire Soul Society into a massive vortex.

This was truly a battle of apocalyptic proportions.

Meanwhile, the others on the battlefield were just as busy.

The Captains of the Gotei 13 and the Arrancars were fighting all over the Seireitei. The sounds of Zanpakuto release commands and roaring Ceros echoed everywhere.

At first, Aizen was watching leisurely, but soon two attacks from different directions came at him simultaneously, forcing him to respond.

"Hado #78, Zangerin!"

"Hado #88, Hiryu Gekizoku Shinten Raiho!"

A rapidly spinning blue ring and a violent thunder cannon struck at Aizen from both sides.

Both were high-level Kido, clearly released in full chant state, their power amplified to the maximum.

Aizen raised an eyebrow slightly, drawing his blade unhurriedly. The moment it was fully drawn, he swung it once to each side with a sharp slash.

The two slashes collided fiercely with the two Kido in mid-air, producing a deafening blast.

The shockwave made Aizen's Captain's Haori flutter, but he himself didn't budge an inch.

As the shockwave and dust slowly cleared, he glanced to both sides and said with his usual gentleness, "Are you going to fight me? Captain Ukitake, Captain Kyoraku."

The ones who had attacked him were two of the Gotei 13's most senior Captains, and two of Yamamoto's direct disciples... Ukitake Jushiro and Kyoraku Shunsui.

"Well~ we can't just leave you alone, can we, Captain Aizen."