At this moment, Kurosaki Ichigo and Shihōin Yoruichi's Reiatsu was so weak it was nearly nonexistent.
Originally, they had been severely injured by Akira, but his, devastating attack had become the final blow, pushing them to the brink of death.
Akira carefully examined their dwindling spiritual power before letting out a cold snort.
"Life is tough, but I'm sick of being followed around by you two… so…"
"I'll kill you."
His expression turned icy.
Today, Kurosaki Ichigo and Shihōin Yoruichi had stepped right into the line of fire. They had come to Akira at his worst moment—when he was already irritable and frustrated—pushing him further toward the edge of his patience.
These two, much like Jūshirō Ukitake, had become intolerable to him. So why not just eliminate them here and now?
"Kurosaki… Shihōin…!"
On the scorched battlefield in the distance, Ishida Uryū lay wounded, barely clinging to consciousness as he witnessed the scene unfold.
He could clearly sense Akira's murderous intent. Ichigo and Yoruichi, already at death's door, stood no chance against him.
No… Judging by the terrifying force of the lightning and fire that had just clashed, even if they were at full strength, they would still be no match for Akira!
"Damn it… Am I really this powerless? Even if I die here, will I have accomplished nothing?"
Ishida's fists clenched as regret filled his heart.
Back then, Yoruichi hadn't said it outright, but it was obvious—she didn't believe in him. She thought he was too weak. That's why she had wanted to leave him behind with Sado Yasutora and Inoue Orihime.
That wounded his pride as a Quincy. He had sworn to prove her wrong—to show that he was strong enough to stand on his own, strong enough to take down even a captain-level Shinigami!
But in the end, his hidden trump card had remained unused. And now, their entire team was on the verge of annihilation.
It's not too late to use it now… is it?
A voice echoed in his mind, a lingering, desperate will refusing to be silenced.
Better to use it now than regret never using it at all…
"But…" Ishida hesitated. "If I activate it… I'll lose my Quincy powers forever."
And at this point, does that really matter?
The voice—his own—kept pushing him, demanding an answer.
Besides… are you really going to let that Shinigami Akira walk all over you?
Are you willing to die as nothing more than an insect in his eyes!?
The voice grew louder, more insistent.
The answer is no! Right!? Where is your Quincy pride?! If not now, then when?!
And then, Ishida Uryū understood.
It was his own voice. His soul screaming at him to fight back.
"That's right… I won't just stand by and let my comrades—Kurosaki and Shihōin—die before my eyes!"
"And more than anything… I will show that arrogant Shinigami the true pride and power of the Quincy!"
That conviction ignited something deep within him. It gave him the strength to stand.
He reached for his Sanrei Glove.
And then—
An explosion of spiritual pressure surged into the sky, surpassing even Ichigo's!
"The Quincy's Final Form…!"
The Sanrei Glove, a sacred Quincy artifact, was meant to suppress the absorption of Reishi, forcing the wearer to refine their control. But once removed…
A Quincy would momentarily transcend all limits—at the cost of their powers forever.
But once a Quincy creates a bow in this state and maintains it for seven days and seven nights, they rapidly approach the limits of the Quincy's power. Ishida Uryū used this method to train.
However, the Sanrei Glove can only be used once. Once worn, it cannot be removed without consequence. This is because the glove forces a Quincy to refine their spiritual energy control to an extreme degree, pushing their limits beyond natural constraints.
Yet, excessive power comes with a price. When the glove is removed, the resulting surge grants the practitioner immense strength for a brief moment—at the cost of losing all Quincy abilities afterward.
This is the Quincy's Letzt Stil, the final form that Ishida Uryū is now using!
"Huh? You're going to stand in my way too?"
Akira's Observation Haki activated, and his icy gaze swept across the battlefield.
"I didn't want to resort to this, but you've left me no choice!
"You shouldn't trample on and underestimate the Quincy—now, you'll pay the price!"
Ishida Uryū's voice rang out with fury. "Are you ready to kneel before the ultimate power of a Quincy!?"
"You're mistaken about two things."
Akira remained expressionless, raising two fingers in front of a stunned Ishida.
"First, with your incomplete mastery, you have no right to call this the ultimate Quincy power. In truth, you underestimate the Quincy yourself."
"What the hell are you talking about?!" Ishida's face twisted with frustration. "Are you saying I don't understand my own people's strength?"
"As a Quincy, how could you, a Shinigami, possibly know more than me about my own power?! Stop insulting me!"
Akira smirked. "Speaking of insults, that brings me to your second mistake."
"I'm not trampling on the Quincy… I'm trampling on you."
"You bastard!"
Enraged, Ishida let loose a barrage of arrows from his massive spiritual bow!
Boom!
The sheer force of the arrows detonated the air like cannon fire, unleashing terrifying energy!
"Raienryū no Tekkō!" (Thunder Flame Dragon's Iron Strike!)
Akira clenched his fists, intertwining the forces of lightning and fire. His strike met the incoming giant arrow head-on.
BOOM!
A massive explosion rocked the Seireitei, shaking the Shrine of Penitence three times over!
"Is this the level of attack that can instantly kill a normal Captain-level Shinigami? Not bad at all."
Amidst the swirling dust and debris, Akira's voice emerged, tinged with amusement.
"Congratulations—I suppose I should commend you… on evolving from a mere insect to a slightly trickier little bug."
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