Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto vs. Yhwach is a battle taking place during the Quincy Blood War between Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and Quincy Emperor Yhwach, acting as the second and final confrontation between the two.
Prelude[]
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto battles Royd Lloyd, believing him to be Yhwach.
During the Wandenreich's first invasion of the Seireitei, Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto battles Royd Lloyd, who has convincingly disguised himself as Yhwach by using The Yourself to copy the latter's memories and mind.[3] After demonstrating the true power of his Bankai, Zanka no Tachi, and tormenting Royd with the summoned skeletons of Yhwach's former subordinates, Yamamoto ends the battle by dismembering Royd with Zanka no Tachi, Kita: Tenchi Kaijin and deactivates Zanka no Tachi, only for Royd to beg Yhwach for forgiveness as he lays dying.[4]
The real Yhwach appears behind Yamamoto with Hirenkyaku.
Upon hearing this, Yamamoto stops in his tracks and looks back in confusion as he internally questions who Yhwach could be apologizing to when he is the one who started this battle and who has ultimately lost it. With Royd apologizing to Yhwach for being unable to carry out his orders, Yamamoto frantically demands to know who he is just before the First Division barracks are engulfed and destroyed by a massive pillar of blue Reishi flames. While Yamamoto calls out to his 3rd Seat, Genshirō Okikiba, the real Yhwach appears behind him with Hirenkyaku, and as a startled Yamamoto curses him, Yhwach addresses Royd, who lies on the ground before him after ceasing his usage of The Yourself and returning to his normal appearance, and praises his performance in convincing the Gotei 13 that he was Yhwach.[5]
Yhwach obliterates Royd with a Heilig Pfeil after praising his performance.
While a stunned Royd tearfully expresses gratitude for this praise, Yhwach raises his hand, points his index finger at Royd, and obliterates the latter with a Heilig Pfeil, instantly killing him. With only Royd's severed legs remaining on the ground next to a smoking hole, Yamamoto questions what the former has been doing this whole time, only for Yhwach to counter by asking Yamamoto about what lies beneath the First Division barracks, which leads Yamamoto to realize that he has been in the Central Great Underground Prison prior to Yhwach revealing that he spoke to Sōsuke Aizen, leaving Yamamoto completely aghast.[6]
Battle[]
Yhwach steals Zanka no Tachi with his Medallion when Yamamoto activates it again.
After recounting how he told Aizen to come under his command as a Special War Power and was rejected, though he does not mind this since they have much time to change that, Yhwach assumes that Yamamoto has exhausted his powers while fighting Royd, and when Yamamoto denies this and activates his Bankai, Zanka no Tachi once more, Yhwach immediately steals it with his own Medallion and clarifies that rather than the Wandenreich being unable to steal his Bankai, it is too strong for anyone other than Yhwach himself to wield, which is why he had Royd not attempt to steal it until he returned.[7]
Yamamoto is diagonally slashed through by Yhwach's Reishi Broadsword.
Offering to summon the corpses of Yamamoto's subordinates with Zanka no Tachi, which causes Yamamoto leap toward him in rage, Yhwach summons his massive Sankt Bogen in the air above himself by performing a slash with his Reishi Sword and fires an equally large Heilig Pfeil down into the ground before him, forming a long Reishi Broadsword that Yhwach pulls out of the ground. While Yamamoto stops in stunned silence at the sight of this, Yhwach bids him farewell and slashes diagonally downward at Yamamoto, drawing a large amount of blood as Yamamoto is cut through at the left shoulder by the blade.[8]
Yamamoto is cut in two by Yhwach's attack, causing his top half to fall to the ground.
Cut diagonally in half by this attack, Yamamoto coughs up blood while his top half falls to the ground. With the rain continuing to fall heavily across the Seireitei, Yhwach looks down disdainfully at Yamamoto's motionless body and asserts that his demise was pitiful despite his station as the Captain-Commander. However, when Yhwach attempts to leave with Jugram Haschwalth, he is stopped by Yamamoto grasping his leg with his remaining arm, prompting Yhwach to sever his hand after a brief pause and assume that this was Yamamoto's attempt to demonstrate that he will not allow Yhwach to get away even in death.[9]
Yhwach berates Yamamoto for growing weak since their first battle and refusing to accept the aid of Humans.
Yhwach stomps on Yamamoto's head and reveals that he did not have the latter counted among the Special War Powers because he did not have his left arm restored after sacrificing it to use Hadō #96. Ittō Kasō even though Orihime Inoue could have done so. Attributing this to Yamamoto not wanting the aid of Humans since he did not even want Ichigo Kurosaki's aid in the battle against Aizen, Yhwach observes that Yamamoto tried to carry the burden of the two worlds on his shoulders and has failed. Though he calls Yamamoto weak, Yhwach admits that he was not always this way because the original captains of the Gotei 13 that he used to lead were guards in name only, being more a group of bloodthirsty killers that Yhwach himself respected.[10]
Yhwach obliterates Yamamoto's remains after declaring that the Gotei 13 died with the Quincy 1,000 years ago.
Describing Yamamoto himself as a demon with a sword that would use anything and everything to win and who considered the lives of everyone around him to weigh as much as ashes, Yhwach derides Yamamoto and the Gotei 13's progression into peace following their war now that they had people and things to love and protect because it made them hesitate to take action in order to satisfy their sense of justice. After stepping back from Yamamoto, Yhwach decides to tell him this before he dies and declares that the Gotei 13 died with the Quincy 1,000 years ago even if Soul Society is only going to be destroyed now before raising his index finger and firing a barrage of Heilig Pfeil that obliterate Yamamoto's remains.[11]
Aftermath[]
Yhwach is startled by an explosion occurring in the sky behind him as Ichigo Kurosaki arrives.
With Yhwach commanding that the Sternritter completely crush Soul Society, the Soldat are summoned and begin massacring the remaining Shinigami. While watching the Seireitei burn and collapse around him, Yhwach declares that it is finished and tells Haschwalth that they will be retreating to wait until the Royal Guard show up. Suddenly, an explosion occurs in the sky behind Yhwach, who looks up at it in shock.[12] Upon sensing Ichigo's arrival and movement across the Seireitei, Yhwach confirms his identity, and when Haschwalth wonders if he should purge Ichigo, Yhwach denies this and states that they will leave. However, Yhwach is interrupted when the sword of Ichigo's Bankai, Tensa Zangetsu, is thrown down from the sky and embeds itself in the ground in front of him just before Ichigo follows and picks it up, leaving Yhwach surprised[13] before the two battle.[14] Following the Wandenreich's retreat, the burned and broken remnants of Yamamoto's Zanpakutō are gathered and returned to the First Division barracks for his funeral.[15]
References[]
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 536, page 16
- ↑ "Bleach" manga; Chapter 515
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapters 505-508
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 509, pages 1-17
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 510, pages 2-7
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 510, pages 7-9
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 510, pages 10-11
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 510, pages 12-17
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 511, pages 4-9
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 511, pages 9-11
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 511, pages 11-13
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 511, pages 13-18
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 512, pages 13-17
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapters 513-514
- ↑ Bleach manga; Chapter 515, page 12