The shockwaves of Indestructible Vajra: Wondrous Method Forging could gradually strip away any form of 'attachments'.
Battle techniques, acquired skills, even various memories of others... would all gradually lose their proper form as Ōetsu hammered and forged.
Returning to essence...
Meant returning to that most ignorant, unknowing, even confused period.
Infancy?
Perhaps... an even more ancient form.
Bang!!!
Visible ripple-like phenomena spread out at this moment.
The entire three worlds trembled for an instant at this moment... the literal sense of shock made everyone uncontrollably affected and influenced in various ways.
Those with lieutenant-level spiritual pressure could still maintain their core self, but at this moment most people had already forgotten the names of the objects in their hands.
On the colorful battlefield, many people held their Zanpakutō that had reverted to original form, staring blankly, seemingly completely unable to accept this reality...
In comparison.
Those with more ordinary abilities appeared even more miserable and unlucky at this moment.
Before they could even cry out half a scream, their bodies had already begun collapsing and decomposing.
Life would begin gradually returning to its initial place in its most essential form...
And for the entire three worlds.
That was 'spiritual particles'.
Heaven and earth seemed to merge together at this moment.
Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, the living world...
Although the last one hadn't been affected much due to its unique nature, it also faintly showed signs of being influenced.
Ōetsu hammered the raw iron before him, his expression focused, his whole body shining with brilliant golden light.
Like Shiva welcoming the world's end... dancing madly, working selflessly, until guiding all beings toward termination.
Two soft sounds.
The two Schutzstaffel members who had originally stood beside Yhwach had now completely lost all signs of life.
Haschwalth knelt on the ground, no longer having any light in his eyes.
Lille slightly opened his mouth, stretching his neck, making struggling motions like a dying person.
Dead.
Although their bodies hadn't collapsed, their souls had been forced to decompose, returning to the most primitive state...
Life's endpoint lay in reincarnation.
At the same time.
Ichigo and Uryū, who were constantly traveling, also felt distinct changes at this moment.
Something was changing in the outside world... high frequency, and the power definitely couldn't be underestimated.
Ichigo couldn't help but stop, showing a surprised expression.
"Outside... what exactly is happening now?"
Although Uryū was equally concerned, he had more important goals than this.
He silently clenched the object in his pocket, frowning as he urged.
"Don't worry about those things. We don't have much time... arrive early, or more people will definitely continue sacrificing!"
A thousand words couldn't match this single reminder's usefulness.
Ichigo's expression, after brief hesitation, immediately transformed into firm resolve.
"Yeah, let's hurry..."
After all, this was what they came for.
With even spatial tunnels being affected to this degree... it was enough to demonstrate Ōetsu's power level at this moment.
He possessed the ability to return everything to annihilation.
And the so-called Sword God was currently the gatekeeper wielding the power of reincarnation.
"How about it, Yhwach?"
Sweat beads the size of beans seeped from Ōetsu's head, his whole body already soaked. Yet even so, his spirit became increasingly excited.
"Your subordinates are already dead, so it's your turn now?!"
For Ōetsu, this was what a craftsman was.
"Can't speak? Afraid, fearful, or are you already wanting to beg for mercy now?"
The more immersed in his own world, the more he could experience his own power.
He could continue dancing.
He could continue hammering...
Until this world's end, even until the moment when his own self would be annihilated arrived.
So then.
The sixth time.
Bang!!!
Sparks flew, the three worlds trembled.
The substantial wave affected even Yhwach, forcing the other party's expression to change obviously at this moment.
"Ugh..."
The ancestor of the Quincy staggered.
He began uncontrollably swaying his body, like a drunk person's struggle, highlighting embarrassment and wretchedness at this moment.
Memories...
Also began collapsing at this moment.
Past, present, future.
The shape woven from three lines had waves at this moment, beginning to sway, finally trending toward destruction...
The dual pupils in Yhwach's eyes began to tremble slightly.
This was a tendency for the power within his body to begin losing balance, also a prelude to welcoming defeat.
Ōetsu saw everything.
A more obvious smile appeared on his face.
As a craftsman, Ōetsu could assert that his long life was born for this moment!
His body was already exhausted. To avoid letting his power affect the entire three worlds, Ōetsu had already suppressed his own power to the maximum extent.
Yet even so.
This power would still uncontrollably spread in wave-like forms.
Seiya, standing in the Soul King Palace at this moment, received the deepest influence.
He had already obviously frowned and knelt on one knee at this moment... In comparison, Aizen could still maintain his original stance standing in place...
This didn't mean there was an exaggerated gap in strength between both sides.
Even quite the opposite.
Seiya's current strength could be said to be second only to Ichibē's existence, but showing such an embarrassing appearance...
Naturally had its reasons.
"Soul instability..."
Although already powerful to this degree, Seiya still wasn't a substantial 'true body'.
Like a patched-together barrel that looked solid but actually had the most obvious weak points...
It still lacked a crucially important fragment.
If this couldn't be supplemented, the barrel couldn't serve its water-holding purpose, becoming nothing more than an 'empty frame' in the end.
—Soul Reaper battles were indeed competitions and contests between spiritual pressures, but before this... maintaining one's completeness was most important.
The strong wouldn't have obvious weaknesses.
This was everyone's consensus.
But Seiya... was somewhat different.
Aizen looked thoughtfully at Seiya beside him, instinctively reaching out to help him up, but before that.
Seiya had already shakily stood up on his own.
No need for such help. The person's gaze had been focused on the distant figure from beginning to end.
"Mm..."
Ichibē, who had been sitting at the edge all along, suddenly made a contemplative sound at this moment.
His bright red eyes stared straight toward the distance, as if trying to capture all changes.
After a moment's pause.
He pursed his lips slightly and sighed almost imperceptibly.
"He did his best..."
Did his best.
This phrase was usually used in situations where outcomes were already decided.
Yet having this statement at this time, what was the intent?
Seiya narrowed his eyes slightly, watching Ōetsu with his back to everyone, gasping for breath...
The Sword God had reached his literal limit.
Each hammering was a tremor of heart and spirit, also a kind of exploitation of Ōetsu himself.
The Four Cardinal Directions themselves represented extraordinary power. After becoming the Soul King's dependents and having the Ōken implanted in their bodies... this characteristic was also magnified many times more exaggeratedly.
Precisely because of this.
Ōetsu, as a swordsmith, could stir up waves capable of affecting the three worlds.
Just a little more.
His heartbeat pounded, driving even his eardrums to throb in waves, as if wanting to stretch them open, tear them apart, bringing waves of pain.
But this didn't mean he had already reached his limit.
There was still room for a final effort.
Ōetsu took a deep breath and once again raised the craftsman's hammer in his hand.
"Yhwach, ancestor of the Quincy, son of the Soul King, our destined enemy..."
Murmuring the other party's name.
The corners of Ōetsu's mouth slightly curved up.
"If there's a next life, remember to be a good person."
Dust to dust, earth to earth.
Everything would return to its initial state under the guidance of Wondrous Method Forging.
Bang!!!
Along with bright yellow sparks flying out.
This tremor wasn't as shocking and exaggerated as before...
It just began gently swaying like water surface, until layer upon layer, wave upon wave, finally forming roaring waves worthy of attention.
With Ōetsu as the center.
A visibly surging spiritual power tide was now raging!!!
Without exaggeration, if no power bound and controlled it, Ōetsu's current power could definitely completely scatter the entire three worlds... making them return to spiritual particle state.
Literal world-destroying power.
At this moment, it was bound by its user...
This originally wave-like surging spiritual particle flow began spiraling, turning, finally forming whirlpool-like phenomena, all covering toward Yhwach!
"Farewell! Yhwach!"
Ōetsu's mad shout came from the spiraling spiritual particle flow. Yhwach didn't have time to respond before his body began collapsing.
Pop pop pop pop pop pop...
A series of continuous sounds like frying beans.
This symbolized Yhwach's body gradually peeling away.
He silently lowered his head, seeing his hands gradually crumbling and disappearing from the fingertips...
The power symbolizing Yhwach was disappearing.
Images of the past, reality of the present, etherealness of the future.
All at this moment like bubbles under mirrored flowers and moon in water, being popped and annihilated strand by strand.
The self was being dissolved.
Consciousness trending toward sinking...
But.
Was this the end?
Yhwach's dual pupils trembled slightly, at this moment accompanied by a sudden focusing motion, the originally prostrate aura erupted with even more terrifying momentum.
Boom!!!
The power belonging to Ōetsu was completely pierced through, shattering into wildly dancing fragments filling the sky.
"Foolish person."
In his whisper.
The fragments scattered in the air began reorganizing.
Finally changing back into Yhwach's hands, completely reshaping his physical body.
Gurgle, gurgle...
Dual pupils constantly flowed and observed in their sockets.
Symbolizing Yhwach's return and mastery of all his power.
"With just such petty means of affecting others... you wanted to completely subdue me?"
"Isn't this far too arrogant, presumptuous, and ignorant?"
"My name is Yhwach."
Cannot be stripped away.
Cannot be taken.
Much less bullied by anyone.
"In the distant future, I have already seen your weakness."
"This ability can no longer affect me in the slightest..."
"I already told you, didn't I? These eyes can see through everything in the world. Even your power is no exception."
Ōetsu.
The so-called Wondrous Method Forging indeed had some merit.
But regrettably... this wasn't enough to affect Yhwach.
"Your ability to me is not even as useful as a mere illusion."
Yhwach's arrogance manifested in all aspects.
He slowly stepped forward, looking at Ōetsu who had collapsed on the ground due to exhaustion and powerlessness.
The flesh on his face trembled slightly, finally revealing a mocking expression.
"Ōetsu, wanting to strip away everything I possess?"
"What arrogant behavior..."
"Nothing more than a lowly person subservient to the Soul King's power."
The so-called victor's aftermath.
Made the flesh on Ōetsu's face tremble, so much so that he couldn't help but slightly raise his head at this moment, revealing quite a fierce expression.
"You..."
Before he could finish.
Yhwach's right hand half-raised, making a downward pressing motion in an instant.
Whoosh...
Along with the whistling of wind, just in a moment of confusion, Ōetsu's form had already completely collapsed.
Like being smashed and trampled by terrifying iron tools... his physical body was completely destroyed, leaving not a trace behind.
Blood splattered on Yhwach's face.
Yet it didn't cause the tyrant any reaction. He just turned his head with a bland expression toward the Soul King Palace direction...
Slowly taking his steps.
"It's already useless."
"Since this is so... you should also return your power to me."
"My children, the hour of judgment has arrived."
The spiritual power of the two deceased, even the three Schutzstaffel members who had just recovered some memories in the lower realm.
At this moment were all enveloped by sacred and brilliant light.
Physical bodies began dissolving, souls disappearing together.
Bathed in pale sacred praise, Yhwach's momentum climbed again.
He would face the final barrier in his most peak state.
"Ichibē."
"And then..."
"Seiya, Aizen."
Yhwach stopped his steps, extending his right hand flat, waving it lightly.
"You... want to come together?"
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Powerstones?
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