BLEACH: UNOHANA RETSU IS MY WIFE

[Breaking Quest: Become the Son of Yhwach!]

[Reward: Gain the power of a Quincy!]

[Main Quest: All traitors will be defeated by the sword!]

[Defeat the Gotei 13, annihilate the Soul Society, and storm the Soul King Palace! Together with Yhwach, create a world without death and attain true "peace."]

[Reward: ???]

As Yhwach extended an olive branch toward Araki, the system in Araki's mind suddenly roared to life. Lines of mission data rapidly flashed across his vision.

The task panel in Araki's mind was not a fixed construct. It was a support system—an adaptive guide meant to aid him based on his chosen path. But the final decision always rested in his hands.

For a moment, two divergent destinies hung before him like twin blades:

—The path of a Shinigami.

—The path of a Quincy.

"…Do I really need to choose this?"

Araki's eyes twitched slightly as he stared at the mission interface.

Setting aside the roles of "Death God" and "Quincy"—the real question was: which path aligned with his own beliefs and values? And even before that—how could he accept the idea of being Yhwach's son?

Sure, both Yhwach and Whitebeard had a thing for having sons. But there was a world of difference.

Whitebeard gave everything for his children—his heart, his lungs, even half his skull. And even as he died, he roared that ONE PIECE is real! There was no regret in his eyes.

And then there was Yhwach...

He turned his own followers into sacrificial lambs with "Auswählen", claiming it was all for "peace." His sons didn't die—they were merely stones paving the road to salvation.

Araki clenched his fist.

"Don't be ridiculous!"

With a sharp glint in his eye, Araki swung his Zanpakutō and slashed Yhwach's horse in half.

"You brat... so impatient."

Yhwach's voice remained calm, but an edge crept into his tone. "I had hoped the battle with the Shinigami would buy us time—to speak to you more... gently. But it seems I'll need to subdue you first."

As the white horse crumpled beneath him, Yhwach descended to the ground lightly, sweeping aside his black cloak. The pristine white of the Quincy knight uniform underneath gleamed as he placed one hand casually on the hilt at his waist, eyes locking onto Araki.

"Your Majesty! Permit me to act in your stead!" a voice rang out before Yhwach could draw his sword.

A young man wearing a white military cap stepped forward—one of Yhwach's personal guards.

Yhwach narrowed his eyes slightly. "...Shubert?"

The man kneeled slightly. "Allow me, Your Majesty. I shall make him regret spurning your grace."

"Very well," Yhwach said, withdrawing his hand from the hilt. "He's yours."

"I thank you, Your Majesty."

Drawing a cross-shaped blade from his waist, Shubert strode toward Araki. "You ungrateful mongrel! I am Shubert, vice-captain of the Sternritter! For rejecting His Majesty—and for slaying his steed—you shall pay dearly!"

"You say I'll 'soon pay the price' for my actions?" Araki asked calmly, eyes unblinking.

"Remind me—'soon' refers to the future, doesn't it?"

"…So tell me: are you a prophet? Can you see further into the future than even Yhwach, your so-called 'Almighty'?"

Shubert's confident expression faltered. For a brief moment, he turned from Araki and faced his master.

"N-No! Your Majesty, please don't misunderstand! I-I didn't mean it that way! Everyone knows—only you see the future! Only you!"

"Pfft—"

A flash of silver.

A Zanpakutō pierced through Shubert's chest, jutting from his front like a frozen shard of death.

Araki stood behind him, arm extended, face expressionless.

"Fool. You turned your back to an enemy mid-battle. You're begging for death."

Shubert gasped, lowering his head slowly—just enough to see the gleaming tip of the blood-soaked blade pushing through his sternum.

He coughed violently, blood splashing from his mouth. "Y-You... damn coward... you'll... pay…"

Summoning the last of his strength, Shubert activated the Quincy technique "Rand Schrift: Random Heavenly Puppet", a complex high-level skill far beyond the usual arsenal of "shoot" or "slash." It manipulated spirit particles chaotically—but with enough finesse, it could be lethal.

He refused to die like this. If nothing else, he'd leave a scar on the one who humiliated him.

Even if he fell, he'd drag Araki down with him.

"Swiish!"

Without giving Shubert a chance to react, the sharp edge of the Zanpakutō had already arced upward across his chest—cleaving his upper body cleanly in two.

"Gah…!"

With a gush of crimson, Shubert's torso split from chest to crown. Thought ceased. Consciousness vanished. The lifeless body collapsed with a dull thud, motionless and no longer breathing.

"See? That's what happens when you speak of the future in His Majesty's presence."

Araki looked down at Shubert's ruined corpse, his eyes devoid of emotion. His tone was flat, impassive.

"…Huh?"

Just as Araki finished speaking, an icy chill crept up his spine. His instincts screamed, and he instinctively leapt backward.

Swish!!

The moment he moved, several arrows composed of densely packed reishi struck the space where he had just stood.

BOOM!!

A series of explosive blasts consumed Shubert's already lifeless body in a storm of spirit particles.

"Tch…"

Araki clicked his tongue in annoyance and glanced upward—his eyes locking onto the one responsible for the barrage.

Standing aloft, cloaked in silent majesty, was none other than—Yhwach. The emperor himself. The very man Shubert had been so loyal to.

"Foolish man," Yhwach said coldly. "How dare you interfere in my battle… and speak of the future in my presence? You deserved death. That was the result of your insubordination."

There was no remorse in his eyes—only apathy. To him, Shubert's loyalty was meaningless in death. His expression never wavered as he glanced at the scorched ground, then turned to face Araki.

"Enough, Araki. I assume you've vented your anger. Now… become my son. From this moment on, you shall replace Shubert as the new vice-captain of the Sternritter."

Yhwach's voice was calm, persuasive, almost soothing—but beneath it was a terrifying pressure.

"You're clever, Araki. I trust you'll make the right choice. You should already understand… I stand for freedom and peace. Violence is not my will. I hate it. But if you continue down this misguided path—then I will use the very violence I detest."

As his voice trailed off, Yhwach slowly unsheathed the cross-shaped sword at his side—a sacred Quincy blade.

"Deter. Glazed Light…"

Araki whispered his release phrase, but this time it wasn't the usual "Shine, Glazed Light." No—this was different.

Just like Kisuke Urahara's Benihime, Araki's Zanpakutō, Ruriko, had more than one release phrase. And each invocation unveiled a completely different power.

The moment Araki spoke, the world around him shimmered with unstable radiance. The crystalline glow of glazed light intensified, but unlike before, it pulsed with wild hostility. Countless rays of refracted energy crystallized into arrow-like lances, forming a shimmering halo around Araki.

Then—shnk!—they all fired toward Yhwach.

"Hmph. Pointless."

Yhwach scoffed and raised his hand, easily dispersing the barrage of glowing arrows with a casual wave.

Though the attack had no real effect, its meaning was unmistakable.

Yhwach's expression hardened. Araki had answered.

To fire spirit arrows—the sacred weapons of Quincy—at the Quincy King himself, was not only defiance. It was insult.

"So… you've made your choice."

Yhwach's voice was cold, final. At that moment, a suffocating wave of spiritual pressure erupted from his body like a tidal wave. His form blurred into darkness.

And then—

SLASH!

He appeared in front of Araki, cross-sword raised, cleaving downward with terrifying might.

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