Bankai.
Indestructible Vajra: Wondrous Method Forging.
After this whisper-like murmur, the entire world seemed to violently tremble for an instant.
Like some noise squeezed into the complex yet orderly heartbeat sounds, highlighting a fleeting moment while simultaneously making one wonder...
Was this merely one's own fantasy?
However, soon.
Facts proved this was definitely not anyone's subjective 'fantasy'.
Because Ōetsu's Zanpakutō was now slowly dispersing...
Not fragmentary pieces like Senbonzakura, but a more shattered, piercing sensation.
At this moment, along with the blade's disappearance.
Ōetsu also stretched out both hands, making a gesture as if to embrace the sky.
"Everyone!"
His tone became extremely elevated.
"Do you know the process of forging?"
No one responded.
Only above the Soul King Palace, the blue sky and white clouds at this moment seemed to lose their luster, covered and obscured by pitch-black curtains.
Yhwach could still stand calmly in place.
Haschwalth and Lille beside him involuntarily stepped back until they came before the tyrant.
Not out of fear.
But because when encountering unknown events, in such situations, they had to adjust with His Majesty's life safety as the priority.
Both were the most loyal dog-like figures, and precisely because of this, the judgments they made at this moment could almost be said to be 'identical'.
"Your Majesty..."
"No matter, focus on the present."
Rather than permission.
It was more like a perspective close to Romans watching the gladiator arena.
The tyrant had no compassion whatsoever, and his arrogance and composure... would never change in any meaningful way because of specific targets.
Lille turned his gaze back to the present.
His originally calm expression had obviously become somewhat impatient at this moment.
Haschwalth beside him observed this subtle change, sweeping a glance over and muttering to himself in a low voice.
"Anxious?"
"Of course... after all, this is the first time I've seen a guy who can act like nothing happened after being hit."
Having this reaction wasn't strange.
After all, for this man who mastered the Schrift of All-Penetrating, firearms were his lifeline.
In the original story, this guy also used the weapon in his hand to constantly pressure, finally making Kyōraku reveal his trump card and begin fighting with his life.
Like a wolf suddenly having its sharp teeth pulled out.
A canine that had lost its weapon seemed unable to find any other methods to face enemies in the short term.
"No choice, I'm activating Vollständig!"
The anxiety in his heart was rolling and accumulating, constantly doubling, until finally becoming terrifying pressure that could completely crush his mentality.
Regarding Lille's judgment, Haschwalth couldn't give any suggestions.
After all, both sides were strangely 'equal' at this stage, neither having the authority to command the other.
Lille in Vollständig state launched a frenzied bombardment at Ōetsu.
Torrents of surging spiritual particles danced wildly in the air, briefly obscuring vision. However, after everything dispersed... seeing Ōetsu still completely unharmed.
Even Haschwalth frowned.
Defense exaggerated to this degree? No, it shouldn't be like this.
Rather than defense, this seemed more like ultra-high-speed recovery in some sense.
So the goal was to directly kill the opponent with injury-flooding methods before they completed recovery?
Unknown for now... and at this moment, rather than this, what obviously needed more attention was the opponent's ability.
Squad Zero's Bankai were all similarly hidden information. Before contacting individuals, the Quincy's understanding of them was naturally unknown.
So what was the power this guy gained by sacrificing three companions?
Haschwalth's gaze focused slightly.
Massive amounts of information echoed and analyzed in his mind.
Just before reaching conclusions, Ōetsu's ability... seemed to be ready at this moment.
He pulled open his vest buttons.
Letting the loose clothing slide from his body, Ōetsu's body began showing an exquisite and detailed outline.
This world seemed to dim at this moment.
However, correspondingly.
The patterns on Ōetsu's body became vivid at this moment!
Like a wonderful stage play beginning, just this forced 'eye-catching' method somewhat made people feel a bit unfree.
An ability?
No, not so.
But a proud temperament like a peacock spreading its tail.
"Did no one hear my voice just now? Well~ it doesn't matter."
"Then let me ask again."
"Everyone, do you know the process of forging?"
At some point.
Ōetsu already held a thick craftsman's hammer in his hand.
His gaze dropped down, his originally proud expression slightly restrained, then transformed into an outline close to pity.
He swung the craftsman's hammer in his hand toward the air in front of him.
A literal 'empty swing'.
Yet after an instant... many people felt their hearts tremble.
The three worlds were shaken for a brief moment.
"So-called forging is using suitable materials, appropriate techniques, and a sense of responsibility willing to pour one's soul into it."
What is a craftsman?
Ōetsu gave his answer.
"Deeply loving everything you create, entrusting it to meaningful people's hands, this is..."
Bang!!!
Sudden sound.
It was an attack from Lille, who could no longer remain silent.
This guy's expression was cold to the extreme. Having this kind of 'interrupting spellcasting' action at this moment wasn't due to others' influence.
But from his own will.
"Enough verbose words. We didn't come here to listen to your stories."
The Schutzstaffel captain in Vollständig state had basically lost human form. Perhaps precisely because of this, he could speak these words in such a cold and observational tone at this moment.
"Very impactful performance. If placed in a stage play, I would probably applaud your acting."
Behavior like a victory declaration.
Yet it only attracted a few brief chuckles.
"Don't be so hasty~ We clearly still have time to continue getting along."
"..."
Again.
This extraordinarily abnormal recovery method was definitely not something 'ordinary Soul Reapers' could achieve.
Squad Zero wouldn't have any exceptions either.
So what was this guy really up to?
Although he didn't master Bankai himself, it was like not having eaten pork but having seen pigs run.
Soul Reapers' Zanpakutō definitely wouldn't have purely 'useless abilities'.
Many times certain things were merely illusions, groundwork for more advanced abilities.
Both sides definitely had some meaningful connection.
So...
Before this guy could continue saying mocking words.
Lille had already looked down at himself in shock.
He looked at his own body and the floating cannon-like objects around his body. At this moment, they were also melting at a visibly rapid speed like spring snow under warm sun!
Not simply physical disappearance.
What disappeared together at this moment was the unused spiritual power in his body, and some subtle and trivial...
Memories?
In this instant.
As a Schutzstaffel member and also a modern weapons specialist, Lille discovered he had completely 'forgotten' all knowledge about firearms.
The hollow feeling appearing in his heart was just like Lille's previous methods of harming people...
Memories and spiritual power forcibly carved out were now pulling at his body's energy at this moment, being forced to stretch and fill the gaps.
This maddening feeling also made Lille's tone inevitably panicked.
"What did you do to me?!"
Although Haschwalth beside him didn't speak, his current action of frowning at the object in his hand also made everyone understand...
His situation was similar.
"What did I do?"
Ōetsu grinned and laughed aloud.
"I just took back things that didn't belong to you in the first place."
Saying this.
He raised the craftsman's hammer in his hand again at this moment.
Another empty swing.
Bang!
"You should still remember, right? First training, first battle, first kill..."
However, at this moment, things in the air began to slightly distort.
Along with a shallow light and shadow emerging, as if before the current Ōetsu, he was standing at his familiar workbench.
Beginning day after day, year after year of forging work.
Bang!!
"But those things are so-called impurities, excess parts that need to be removed."
As sparks flew, Lille's body trembled slightly, and the light wings behind him also began to collapse at this moment.
Bang!!!
"Human nature... isn't it beautifully simple and clear like this raw iron... isn't it?"
Along with violent roaring, a circle of visible ripples spread out at this moment.
This fierce momentum like a gale blew over.
Yet the moment it made contact, it made Lille, who had entered the bird-headed humanoid monster state, get 'hit' and fall directly from the air.
He struggled to get up, but the spiritual particles surrounding his body had been stripped away. At this moment, he had reverted to his original black human form.
"...?!"
This guy was breathing heavily, lying on the ground, his face full of confused expressions at this moment.
He couldn't describe his current feelings.
But regardless, this intense sense of emptiness made him nearly mad at this moment.
"What exactly did you do to me!"
This guy's voice had already become hoarse.
Extreme panic and unease made him completely unable to control his emotions at this moment.
In comparison.
Haschwalth beside him also showed a bewildered expression.
The shield he originally gripped had completely disappeared without a trace, and memories related to Schrift abilities had also become blurred at this moment...
What happened?
"I just said it."
"I just returned you to your original form."
"Besides that, I haven't done anything extra."
Ōetsu paused for a moment, the smile appearing on his face no longer as flamboyant as before, at this moment only showing a subtle Buddhist-like feeling.
I am a craftsman.
My work is constantly hammering, tempering, creating more refined weapons.
So, the question came.
Ōetsu had asked himself.
What kind of Asauchi was truly the highest achievement?
Unparalleled sharpness, perfect character, blessed with luck?
The lonely environment atop the Soul King Palace had enough time and space for Ōetsu to contemplate this question.
And after a long time.
The man called the Sword God found his answer.
"True simplicity, beautiful and generous things, are the unmasked true self."
Therefore.
Indestructible Vajra: Wondrous Method Forging.
Born from this...
This was content that deconstructed the ability into two parts.
The former was a special method to strengthen oneself, because during the process of using Bankai, Ōetsu would lack 'obvious' counterattack methods.
Protecting oneself was also an indispensable part.
The latter was Ōetsu's understanding of his own experiences... after precipitating the spirit called swordsmith, he could strip away opponents' 'additional abilities' through spiritual power vibration.
So, what were additional abilities?
Everything beyond being 'human'.
Acquired learning, effort. Obtained knowledge, experience... not even just this.
Equipment existing as external objects, Zanpakutō, spiritual bows, were also within the included range.
Each strike would cause broader vibration.
Each forging was deeper exploration of one's true heart.
It was natural.
Spiritual power consumption, with the accumulation of times, also presented geometric growth that made people shrink back.
Ōetsu was already sweating profusely at this moment.
These three consecutive hammering strikes, although suppressing the two people not far away through ability, the 'culprit' Yhwach could still maintain his original state.
This was a symbol of insufficient ability.
There was still room for continued effort.
So then...
The fourth strike.
Raising the craftsman's hammer high in his hand, Ōetsu swung it down heavily.
Dong!!!
Above the Soul King Palace, visible clouds completely dissipated and disappeared into nothingness at this moment.
And this power's fluctuation not only overflowed from here but even spread to various places in the three worlds.
The remaining Schutzstaffel forgot their attack techniques, some Soul Reapers even lost their Zanpakutō's names at this moment...
Indestructible Vajra: Wondrous Method Forging.
Without doubt... under the premise of sufficient spiritual power reserves, it possessed the power to reshape the world.
However, that said, the current Ōetsu wasn't in much better condition.
The current Sword God was breathing like an ox, his eyes showing fatigue, but his face still maintained that faint smile.
The fifth strike...
He could still continue!