CHAPTER 477: CHAPTER 477: A NEW ERA

As the two monsters clashed fiercely, locked in a stalemate, deep within a pitch-black, silent space, Yhwach sat calmly upon his golden throne.

All around him, members of the Sternritter stood guard with unwavering loyalty. From time to time, glowing orbs of light would fly in from afar, as if summoned by some mysterious force, and quietly merged into Yhwach’s body.

Each of these lights was a precious soul—willingly offered by Quincy who revered him as a supreme deity, drawn to him through the power of Auswählen.

Over the past few years, he had absorbed hundreds of these souls, yet the number still fell far short of his expectations.

Though the Quincy who sacrificed themselves came from all over the world, there was one glaring absence: none came from the Jūreichi region of the World of the Living.

Jūreichi were favored gathering spots for beings with high Reiryoku—Quincy included. Any powerful Quincy should have been found there.

And yet, the mystery was that years ago, fragments of their souls had inexplicably returned to Yhwach’s body. Stranger still, those fragments seemed tainted by Hollow power.

At first, he suspected that Hollows had carried out a massacre against high-Reiryoku beings in these vital Jūreichi zones.

But after further contemplation, he realized it couldn’t be that simple.

The power within those soul fragments was far too weak.

So weak, it was practically negligible—completely unworthy of notice.

Even the weakest Quincy would leave behind more power than that upon death.

However, ever since the battle in the Schatten Bereich, the Wandenreich had suffered heavy losses and no longer dared to openly appear in any of the Three Realms. As a result, he had no way of knowing what was truly happening in the World of the Living.

And all of this—was because of that damn brat!

Yhwach’s eyes suddenly snapped open, his once serene expression twisting into a snarl of rage.

"This pitiful amount of power... absorbing it is a complete waste of time! A few scraps like this—what am I, feeding beggars?!"

Clenching his fists tightly, he slowly rose from his throne, which immediately shattered beneath him with a thunderous crack.

The noise brought Haschwalth swiftly into the room.

Accustomed to his Majesty’s volatile temperament, he remained calm as he addressed the furious man.

"Your Majesty."

That single phrase brought Yhwach back to his senses, though his expression remained grim as he growled through clenched teeth:

"There’s something wrong with Auswählen..."

Haschwalth frowned, a trace of confusion flashing across his face.

Pernida and Gerard had both fallen in battle. While Gerard’s soul hadn’t returned—likely for unknown reasons—Pernida’s had indeed been absorbed by Yhwach.

During the battle in the Schatten Bereich, the entire Wandenreich, aside from the Sternritter, had treated the ordinary Quincy as disposable pawns.

Though there were still some shortcomings, with the addition of the Quincy from the World of the Living who had been subjected to Auswählen, it should have been more than sufficient under normal circumstances.

According to the original plan, after Auswählen was complete, all they needed was time—to wait quietly until The Almighty’s power returned.

But if His Majesty was saying otherwise, then there was no reason to believe he was mistaken or deceiving himself.

So what exactly was "enough"?

Did it mean they had to sacrifice the entire Sternritter?

With this unsettling thought, Haschwalth looked toward Yhwach, as if searching for an answer.

Yhwach closed his eyes in contemplation for a moment, then declared,

"Let’s go—back to our homeland. We’ll seek greater strength there."

He opened his eyes once more.

Standing at his side, Haschwalth couldn’t help but look surprised at the command.

But it was, in truth, a wise decision.

Their homeland lay far across the Western Continent. Years of observation had shown that Seireitei had no interest in asserting control over that region.

Not only that—it was a land they had conquered once before, long ago.

After countless wars and bloodshed, there should be few, if any, capable of resisting them now.

Returning there would significantly reduce the threat posed by the Shinigami, and give them the time and conditions needed to prepare for the inevitable battle that lay ahead...

...

In Soul Society, the fierce battle between Lilynette and Kenpachi Zaraki came to an end with Zaraki’s mask shattering and him collapsing unconscious.

After Masatsuki Aozaki saw off the group from Hueco Mundo, he and Sōsuke Aizen steadily solidified their control. A sweeping wave of reforms began to roll out at a startling pace.

In the World of the Living, reformers often encounter heavy resistance when trying to change society—let alone a nation. But for Masatsuki Aozaki and Sōsuke Aizen, such resistance was no obstacle at all.

The first reason was Masatsuki’s overwhelming power. As a being who surpassed even the Shinigami, his strength far exceeded that of any previous ruler Seireitei had ever seen. Even if the founders of the Five Great Noble Houses were to rise from their graves, Masatsuki was confident he could send them back to Hell where they belonged.

Second, their rule had received official recognition, which significantly reduced opposition to their reforms.

On the day Masatsuki Aozaki and Aizen were formally appointed as Judge and Great Wise Man, Seireitei—aside from the noble territories—was filled with joy and celebration.

But just then, a massive pillar suddenly descended from the sky and crashed into the Shin’ō District with a thunderous impact. Panic spread through the crowd, as no one knew what had just happened.

When the dust finally settled, people were stunned to see the remaining three members of the Royal Guard stepping slowly out of the pillar.

At first, everyone assumed they had come to retrieve Senjumaru Shutara and Kirio Hikifune. But they quickly realized that wasn’t the case.

They had come bearing the Soul King’s decree—officially appointing Masatsuki Aozaki as Judge and Aizen as Great Wise Man!

The news sent shockwaves through all of Seireitei.

Who would have thought that the Soul King—long known for his indifference toward Seireitei—would dispatch members of the Royal Guard to descend personally in support of Masatsuki Aozaki?

Even during the Thousand-Year Blood War, a crisis that threatened the survival of the world itself, the Soul King had only sent the Monk Who Calls the Real Name to negotiate with Yhwach. Yet now, he had directly sent people down to endorse Masatsuki. No one had seen this coming.

What’s more, after delivering the royal decree, the three Royal Guard members didn’t immediately return to the Soul King Palace. Instead, they stayed for several days, openly celebrating with Masatsuki—as though endorsing him as the rightful new ruler.

As for Senjumaru Shutara and Kirio Hikifune, they seemed to have been entirely forgotten. Though they were technically supposed to return to the Royal Guard, they remained by Masatsuki Aozaki’s side as always. No one mentioned taking them back.

The noble houses were forced to confront a sobering truth: beyond his overwhelming strength, this man clearly had powerful backing—perhaps even from that one being who had never before interfered in the affairs of the mortal world.

At this point, even those who still clung to illusions had no choice but to awaken from their dreams.

The old era of the nobles was over.

And a new era—one named Masatsuki Aozaki—was steadily beginning.