In the eyes of the Sternritter, the only god was Yhwach himself.
Before their Quincy King, even the Soul King must yield. If they feared not the Soul King, how could they possibly dread a Shinigami who had risen to prominence merely a century ago?
Observing the self-assured expressions of his subordinates, Yhwach couldn't be bothered to correct their misconceptions.
To some extent, he didn't truly believe Uehara Shiroha would prove an invincible opponent.
Once The Almighty fully reawakened, Yhwach would control the future itself—mastering all possibilities.
At that point, it seemed unlikely that Uehara Shiroha could create significant disturbances.
Only Haschwalth—the empire's second-in-command and Yhwach's other half—spoke with genuine candor:
"Indeed, Uehara Shiroha shows no mercy toward the nobility. He appears profoundly dissatisfied with Soul Society and perhaps this world in its entirety. We might exploit this sentiment to our advantage."
This represented perhaps the only positive development.
Like his extraordinary strength, Uehara Shiroha's interests, personality, and methodologies defied conventional understanding.
Haschwalth sensed this might provide an exploitable opening.
Regarding raw power, further contemplation proved unnecessary. None of the assembled Sternritter could likely defeat this man unless Yhwach employed Auswählen to dramatically enhance their capabilities.
Haschwalth cared more deeply for the Wandenreich and the Quincy than anyone present.
Consequently, his considerations extended further than the others.
The remaining Sternritter and Yhwach himself continued to wait patiently.
They awaited the day they would "see the light again"—when their thousand-year vigil would transform into the most terrifying power the realms had witnessed.
Meanwhile, several Shinigami captains dispatched for rescue operations arrived in Hueco Mundo.
They swiftly locked onto their target's Reiatsu and headed toward the battlefield, each experiencing profound shock.
Even now, the aftermath of Shunkyō Bankai continued, its terrifying pressure lingering throughout the realm.
The strange light suspended above created a magnificent, ever-changing spectacle that contrasted sharply with Hueco Mundo's cold moon. Residual Reiatsu made the very atmosphere tremble.
Even Kenpachi Zaraki, with his notoriously dull spiritual sensitivity, could perceive this overwhelming energy—this commanding presence.
This Reiatsu projected such intensity that it seemed to declare war upon the world itself.
Kenpachi's hand, tightly gripping his nameless Zanpakutō, trembled slightly.
Every cell in his body quivered with excitement, rejoicing, practically cheering.
His blood-red eyes widened as crimson-gold skull-shaped Reiatsu erupted from his form. He laughed with unrestrained delight:
"It must be Uehara Shiroha! This distinctive Reiatsu—lacking murderous intent yet making my hair stand on end—it's exhilarating! There's no mistaking it! This time, I definitely won't let him escape! Hueco Mundo is truly the perfect battleground! Let the carnival begin!"
"Go! Find Ken-chan!" chirped the pink-haired vice captain perched on Kenpachi's shoulder, equally excited.
She found happiness in Kenpachi's joy.
Nothing thrilled them more than encountering an opponent worthy of full-strength combat!
While Kenpachi followed his battle instincts toward Uehara Shiroha, Retsu Unohana, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and Byakuya Kuchiki experienced similar astonishment at the residual power saturating the environment.
It seemed as though the entirety of Hueco Mundo had submitted to this overwhelming force. More remarkable still—Uehara Shiroha had achieved this effect with what appeared to be a casual attack.
Each captain possessed unique abilities and considerable strength, including the thousand-year veteran Unohana.
Despite their formidable powers, all found themselves stunned by Shiroha's display.
Thanks to this lingering spiritual pressure, their rescue operation proceeded with unexpected smoothness.
In the original timeline, Rudbornn had attempted to prevent Unohana from treating the injured Sado.
Byakuya had required significant effort to defeat the recovered Zommari, whose Amor ability presented considerable difficulties.
Mayuri had first gathered intelligence before confronting Szayelaporro.
On this occasion, however, the rescue operation encountered virtually no resistance.
Rudbornn never appeared.
Unohana successfully retrieved and began treating the gravely wounded Sado and the Arrancar Gantenbainne.
Elsewhere, Rudbornn had been thoroughly intimidated by Uehara Shiroha's display.
Suddenly understanding the wisdom that "the truly insightful man is also a survivor," he hid underground with his Exequias squad, trembling in fear.
Unlike the Exequias leader, who recognized the situation's gravity, Zommari and Szayelaporro demonstrated less prudence.
Both chose to fight to the end, ultimately sacrificing their lives in vain.
Zommari Rureaux's two greatest strengths were Gemelos Sonído—purportedly the fastest technique among the Espada—and his Amor ability.
The former failed to overwhelm Byakuya as Zommari had anticipated, while the latter proved completely ineffective.
Consequently, when facing Byakuya, he quickly found himself at a severe disadvantage.
Moreover, unlike in the original timeline, Rukia hadn't sustained debilitating injuries that rendered her unable to fight.
She retained significant combat capability.
Though Byakuya didn't require her assistance, her presence created additional pressure and constraints on Zommari's options.
Ultimately, Zommari—having lost his Amor ability—was defeated without suspense.
Similarly, Szayelaporro's Resurrección abilities had been substantially diminished due to the soul damage inflicted by Shiroha's attack.
As a result, Mayuri defeated him with relative ease before methodically collecting his research materials.
This represented Mayuri's true purpose in traveling to Hueco Mundo.
Szayelaporro's research findings and the Arrancar specimens offered immense scientific value.
He wouldn't miss such a precious opportunity.
The rescue operation proceeded far more smoothly than anticipated.
Every captain recognized that this success stemmed directly from Uehara Shiroha's intervention.
Though he hadn't physically accompanied them, his influence permeated all of Hueco Mundo, his presence both ubiquitous and intimidating.
And he had accomplished all this with a single sword strike.
Such strength transcended terrifying—it approached mythical.
Rukia, Uryū, Ichigo, and their companions felt profound gratitude toward Uehara Shiroha.
He had, after all, saved their lives.
Meanwhile, Grimmjow, having just regained consciousness, found himself questioning his existence once more.
He had already harbored insecurities about never defeating Ichigo, though this had only fueled his determination.
But witnessing Uehara Shiroha's full-power attack left him momentarily stunned.
In his lifetime, Grimmjow believed he might eventually defeat Kurosaki Ichigo—but he couldn't conceive of ever challenging Uehara Shiroha.
The gap seemed insurmountable—not merely a difference in degree, but a fundamental distinction like that between mortal and divine.
From his perspective, Uehara Shiroha presented an even greater threat than Aizen himself.
Ignoring Grimmjow's slightly horrified expression, Uehara Shiroha smiled at Ichigo:
"Now you should understand—strength is simply strength, and combat is combat. The essence of fighting is killing! But fighting itself has no inherent connection to concepts of good or evil. There's no need to feel guilty about your fighting spirit."
While speaking, he utilized his Observation Haki to survey the Three Realms, confirming the expected calm.
This development aligned perfectly with his predictions.
As long as his existence posed no direct threat to the schemes of those old foxes, they would conveniently ignore him.
Of course, this depended on Uehara Shiroha demonstrating strength that surpassed all living beings.
In essence, he could simply recline and observe the drama unfold.
Then, when these various players finished baking their metaphorical cake, he could simply enjoy the finished product.
"I'll do my best," Ichigo responded, clearly feeling immense pressure.
When confronting someone of such overwhelming presence, caution seemed the only reasonable approach.
"Is the pressure really that intense?" Uehara Shiroha asked with an amused smile. "You're sweating profusely, little brother! Didn't your teachers ever instruct you on proper etiquette when addressing seniors? Such educational neglect is truly disappointing!"
"It's not exactly that..." Ichigo privately lamented in his thoughts.
"Schools don't typically teach protocols for interacting with gods."
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Marvel x Star Wars: Avengers in the Clone Wars
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