01x06 - The Fire

[bunniefuu]

THE QUINCY EXTERMINATION OPERATION
FROM , YEARS AGO

It wasn't years ago?

What's this...?

The blue skies above are hopelessly clear

At my wit's end, I feel a growing frustration

As if to laugh at us hopeless cowards

Countless eyes stare at us

This soul of mine breaks again and again

All I can do is hold it tight

Until the day it turns to ash

I've absorbed all of this sorrow

It has shaped me, painted me

But that's how we got here, right?

One step at a time, just like breathing

These countless scars on my palm

That no longer fade

Are my badge, my story

I faced the fear and shred it to pieces

And let it walk beside me once more

It's been a thousand years,
hasn't it, Yhwach?

I've come to put an end
to your life.

Good indeed.

It's always nice to see
one's spirits lifted.

That is for certain.

But you people...
have misjudged one thing.

Your boss will lose to our boss.

Because it's not just you people
whose spirits are lifted...

from knowing that
our bosses are fighting!

Die, old man!

You're right.

Someone misjudged.

Your conventions
don't apply to Old Man Yama...

Fools...!

That's what they get
for interfering in my battle.

What? You look like
you want to say something—

Your Majesty!

You haven't changed, Yhwach.

But know that your habit of
selling your subordinates short...

will end here.

You've grown old,
Shigekuni Yamamoto.

However...

seeing you let your rage
take over like that...

reminds me of when
you were younger.

Nonsense!

You've finally drawn it...

You talk as if you've been
waiting for me to draw my sword.

Do you know why I was waiting?

Your flesh, blood, sword, and soul...

I intend to crush you
until there's nothing left!

My throat feels dry...

My lips cracked open...

Captain Unohana...

Does your skin feel kind of dry
all of a sudden?

Oh my, Isane.

How cute of you
to worry about your skin.

N-No, that's not what I meant...!

Please settle this quickly...

before your power itself
destroys the Soul Society.

You can't use Hyorinmaru anymore.

You've noticed, haven't you?

Every drop of water
in the Soul Society

is quietly evaporating
little by little.

There's no mistake...

This is...

Bankai...
Zanka no Tachi!

Bankai?

That scorched little sword
is his Bankai?

Don't underestimate it.

Zanka no Tachi is a Bankai
that seals all of his flames

within that single blade.

One swing and it's all over.

Everything it cuts is burnt by an expl*sive flame.

It is a sword of hellfire.

That's right...

You've seen this Bankai
a thousand years ago, haven't you?

But are you sure about that?

Feel for yourself
whether it's still the same

as a thousand years ago.

He cut me...!

But where are the flames?

Is his Bankai really different

from the way it was
a thousand years ago?

Flames are his Bankai's power.

There's no mistake about that.

Then, where did all that flame
disappear to?!

The tip of his sword!

Correct!

Zanka no Tachi, East!
Kyokujitsujin!

I've focused
all the heat of my flames

into just the tip of my blade.

It does not burn,
nor does it emit an expl*sive flame.

It merely blows away everything
it touches without a trace.

All it means is that
I just have to cut you down

without letting
your sword touch me!

What?

A thousand years ago,
all of you d*ed.

Today,
I will force you to remember...

that all of you are nothing
but a horde of corpses

just waiting to be b*rned!

These flames...

I just told you about
my Zanka no Tachi, East...

If there is an East,
there is also a West.

Zanka no Tachi, West.
Zanjitsu Gokui!

Its heat...
is million degrees Celsius.

You can no longer touch me now.

When I use my Bankai,
think of my body and blade

as being enveloped by the sun.

Flames.

million degrees Celsius...

There's no way such immense heat
would be visible as flames.

Is this an illusion?

Wait...

Perhaps his Spiritual Pressure
is so overwhelmingly powerful

that it looks like flames
as it bursts out of him...

Shigekuni Yamamoto!

Now then...

I'm ending this, Yhwach.

If I don't end this soon, you...

and I, as well as the Soul Society,
will burn to ashes.

"A thousand years ago,"

"the Quincy empire
known as the Licht Reich"

"intended to annihilate
all Hollows."

"They invaded the Soul Society,
who had opposed them,"

"but were wiped out by
the Thirteen Court Guard Squads..."

"Then years ago..."

"The Soul Reapers
unilaterally decided to"

"exterminate
the surviving Quincies,"

"believing that they would disrupt
the circulation of souls."

I guess this means that
no matter how much we try,

Quincies and Soul Reapers
will never get along...

The Soul Society isn't involved,
but I'm still a Soul Reaper!

No.
You're a Substitute Soul Reaper.

Furthermore, the Soul Society
has abandoned you.

I'm a Quincy.

I cannot help Hollows or Arrancars.

I know.

Quincies exist
to destroy Hollows, right?

Kurosaki...

It feels like I'm burning...

My eyes, my hair, my throat...

If it weren't for Blut,

I probably would have turned
into ashes even at this distance.

What's the matter?

Are you just going to watch?

Wait, that question
was a bit spiteful.

Your sword is broken
and there's nothing you can do.

I don't blame you
for not being able to move.

You can run if you'd like.

Except I'll quickly catch up
and k*ll you!

Of course...

Your sword is broken.

All you have left are your arrows.

Now then...

Shall we?

Kirchenlied...

Sankt Zwinger!

This is a Quincy's
ultimate defensive incantation

that combines offense and defense!

Step into this and you will be
torn apart by God's light!

I told you, you cannot harm me!

The dead...

The ashes of those who perished
by my flame.

Give me a hand...

And I will give you
a moment's joy of battle.

Zanka no Tachi, South...

Kakajumanokushidaisojin!

What is this?

What in the world is this?!

Kakajumanokushidaisojin...

I awaken those I have slain by
heating their ashes with my blade.

These awakened dead become my limbs

and chase down those I deem to be
enemies until they turn into dust!

How laughable that
the head of the Soul Reapers

would awaken the dead!

You don't deserve to be called
a Soul Reaper, Shigekuni Yamamoto!

Don't think you can stop me...

with something like this!

Your mouth works well,
but your eyes don't work at all.

Seydlitz...!

Argola!
Hubert!

Do you see the subordinates
that you mercilessly k*lled?

Shigekuni Yamamoto, you bastard!

Are you regretting not stealing
my Bankai earlier?

No, that's not it.

It's not that you decided
not to steal my Bankai.

You couldn't.

You people steal Bankai by learning
its power and understanding it.

Am I wrong?

I haven't shown my true power
even a thousand years ago.

You cannot steal what is
beyond your understanding.

It's as simple as that.

Wait!
Where are you going?!

Don't make a fuss.

If you want to k*ll me,
then come after me.

After you defeat your subordinates
who stand before you, that is.

You bastard...

It seems that even you still had
a shred of humanity left.

Don't talk as if you know me!

I thought I told you...

don't assume you can stop me
with the likes of this!

I can see your tears, Yhwach.

Painful, isn't it?

To have to destroy the corpses
of your subordinates...

just to reach me.

You must hate me, don't you?

For using such a dirty tactic as

bringing your dead subordinates
back to the b*ttlefield.

But none of what
you're experiencing...

could compare to
the hatred and suffering...

of the Soul Reapers
that you have k*lled!

Zanka no Tachi, North...

Tenchi Kaijin!

I-I wasn't... strong enough...

Please forgive me...

Wait, who would the boss
be apologizing to?

This w*r was started by you.
And you've lost.

Who are you apologizing to?

I wasn't able to...
carry out your orders...

Who in the world are you?!

Your Majesty Yhwach...!

The Squad Barracks...!

Okikiba!

Damn you, Yhwach...

Stern Ritter "Y"...

"The Yourself."

The "R" of Royd Loyd.

You made sure that no one noticed
I wasn't present.

Well done.

You...

said... I did well...

W-What an... honor to—

You bastard...

What have you been up to until now?

What's beneath
the Squad Barracks?

The Central Underground
Great Prison!

I went and met with Sosuke Aizen.

THE CENTRAL UNDERGROUND
GREAT PRISON

Yhwach, huh?

I have many ways of
finding out your name.

Though I didn't think I would
get to see you with my own eyes...

I won't ask why you're here.

The unpleasant Spiritual Pressure
swirling on the surface above

is enough to tell me
what is happening.

In that case,
this simplifies things.

One of the Special Threats,
Sosuke Aizen...

come under my command.

The Quincy King is welcoming me
into the Wandenreich?

We share the same path—

the goal of destroying
the Soul Society, don't we?

The same path, huh?

I refuse.

What?

I cannot stand to see
the Quincy King

following in the footsteps
of a Soul Reaper.

Is that your answer?

We're done talking here.

Are you leaving already?

You came here because you saw
my power as a thr*at, didn't you?

That's right.

But since you are fused
with the Hogyoku,

it would take too long to k*ll you

or take you with us
to restrain you.

A wise decision.

It is best to minimize the time
we spend sharing the same path.

Especially when
dealing with someone

who should eventually
be eliminated.

Now then...

I see you've exhausted your powers
in your battle with my impostor.

Haven't you, Shigekuni Yamamoto?

Shut up!
Bankai!

It's not that we couldn't steal
your Bankai.

But your power is so strong that
no one other than I can handle it.

Therefore, I ordered Royd
to leave it alone until I returned.

So what now?

I can use the power of this Bankai

to awaken the corpses
of your subordinates,

Genryusai Yamamoto.

You bastard!

Farewell, Shigekuni Yamamoto.

Everything we had left behind

Our breaths blending as mist

without form or expression

We lie buried as we glare
into the distance

I can't hear anything

I can't seem to cut anything

It feels like I'm sinking

Falling, falling

Touching

Eyes struck wide open

Something no one has ever seen

The furthest reaches are now visible to us

It cannot be undone
and cannot be stopped

This ensuing struggle

Whisk it away beyond
the ends of the earth

Along with our breaths

Take everything

Whisk it away beyond
the ends of the earth

Along with our futures

Along with our world

Something no one has ever seen

The furthest reaches are now
visible to us

Don't you know God's demand?

Don't you know God's demand?

As we tear each other down

"A petal falling,
never to bloom again."

"A petal in flames,
full of beauty."