Momo had fantasized many times.
About the scene if she were to meet Seiya again.
She would definitely be angry, right?
After all, that person had done terrible things, not only deceiving and fooling many people's feelings, but even making the 5th Division unable to escape the shadows of the past to this day.
From the most rational perspective, Seiya's actions were absolutely unforgivable.
Moreover, she couldn't make decisions for others either.
However...
Such similar thoughts had already completely disappeared some time ago.
After all, that public execution carried out in front of everyone was like a clean and sharp slash, completely severing Seiya's past and future.
The wrongs committed had already been repaid with the price of life.
Was there any need to continue pursuing it?
Momo didn't know what others thought. But regardless... from her perspective, Seiya's crimes had already been judged.
He should be forgiven.
This was also the focus of Momo's recent activities.
She continuously moved between various divisions, trying to find evidence that could vindicate him.
To many people, this seemed like 'fantasy,' after all, Seiya's actions had no room for debate.
He was literally a war criminal.
How easy would it be to reverse his reputation?
But fortunately.
Many people seemed to understand Momo's behavior.
Captain Shinji had been very accommodating in this regard, not only taking on the most annoying daily tasks but also actively helping her contact other captains...
Everything seemed to be developing in a favorable direction.
However.
War suddenly arrived without warning.
Although she had heard about such things somewhat during her studies at the Spiritual Arts Academy.
Only after experiencing it firsthand could she understand what it meant.
Human lives were as fragile as grass, which was lamentable.
The tearing, attacking, and killing between each other, and the falling corpses, made Momo's heart race with fear.
The Gotei 13 should not fear life and death.
But when facing such brutal circumstances, few could still maintain normalcy.
Unable to help on the front lines, Momo could only transfer to the rear to provide support.
It was fine, this was what she was best at.
After all, whether before or after Shinji took office, the 5th Division Lieutenant's role had always been this.
And after the war began.
Many different voices flowed from the squad members' mouths, which Momo captured one by one.
Those black pills recently distributed in the division...
They were said to be methods prepared by Seiya beforehand...
Just by swallowing these things, one could have much more confidence when facing Quincies...
Such statements made Momo's originally somewhat anxious heart become much calmer.
Indeed... that person liked to do such seemingly meaningless but far-reaching things.
It was so before.
It would still be so in the future.
Rather than emotion, what Momo felt deep in her heart was more like relief.
Can you see this, Captain Arima?
After this war ends, I will definitely find a way to do what I should do.
Her inner conviction and determination manifested, and afterward... as the battle intensified, someone finally appeared.
The density of souls would fluctuate, but their outline, shape, and characteristics.
Would absolutely never have any meaningful errors.
Just like there could never be two identical fingerprints in the world.
The moment she realized this phenomenon, Momo's body had already made a conditioned reflex action.
Without thinking or investigating, she had already left the barracks.
Moving toward the direction of that presence.
Of course, Momo's heart would inevitably feel anxious and nervous.
What if this was just her wishful thinking, and it wasn't really Captain Arima appearing?
But after only hesitating for a moment, she threw these thoughts aside.
Regardless.
She had to see with her own eyes.
The journey wasn't easy. Although the intense battle between both sides had caused many to stop attacking.
The Soul Society instead faced an even greater crisis.
Spiritual pressure fragments stirred up and scattered from the fierce collision of both sides fell from the sky, like meteors falling from outer space, instantly destroying everything 'within sight.'
The ground cracked with harsh sounds, many buildings lost their meaning of shape, becoming extremely pathetic ruins.
Momo struggled forward through it all.
Although her own strength wasn't weak... she wasn't injured, but she was still covered in black ash.
She couldn't care about managing her appearance.
But Momo still couldn't speed up.
Because she saw another back 'crawling' forward.
This might sound somewhat hard to accept to the person involved... but that was indeed the case.
Byakuya, who had been injured to an astonishing degree, was staggering alone to the front lines.
Since she had seen him, she couldn't ignore him.
Even if only based on this judgment, Momo at this moment had to help him.
The two began traveling together.
Although there wasn't much verbal communication, after confirming each other's identities... the thoughts in both their hearts became even more determined.
If this guy came too... then there's definitely no mistake! X2
So.
If she were to meet Seiya again.
What could she say?
Such thoughts surged and collided in her chest, but were far from taking shape...
They were completely interrupted by the roar falling from the sky.
The two who were blown away and fell pathetically to the ground only had time to see everything in front of them clearly.
They had already witnessed the most bloody and cruel moment.
Seiya's chest was penetrated, his heart was completely crushed, splattering and scattering, becoming a terrifying blood mist...
"...!!!"
They couldn't speak at all.
Just at the moment of seeing it, both their hearts seemed to stop beating as well.
The long-awaited hope was severed before their eyes. This scene, enough to drive people mad and to despair, almost made both lose the ability to speak.
Momo's hands trembled slightly as she covered her mouth.
Her throat kept rolling, beginning to show cycles of tension and relaxation like convulsions.
Her tear glands began secreting uncontrollably, and soon... her vision began to blur.
She should do something.
But this difference like heaven and earth made her unable to find any angle to respond.
Like a traveler gazing at the stars.
At this very moment, it seemed that besides prayer... there was no other meaning.
No.
Momo's heart contracted violently.
Blood stubbornly began to flow, driving her body, until finally completely feeding back to the origin point called 'action.'
Momo sobbed softly.
"Don't die..."
Yhwach was breathing heavily.
Looking toward this side at this moment.
The ancestor of the Quincies, whose face was now completely unrecognizable, no longer had his previous composed demeanor.
Like two fierce beasts forced into mud to tear at each other.
Even having achieved victory, at this moment he had no grace to speak of... because of this, the anger, violence, and nearly uncontrollable impulse in his heart.
Still searched for an 'outlet' to vent!
Who was this?
Never mind... it didn't matter who it was.
The current Yhwach only knew he still needed to kill.
Only hot blood could fill the void in his heart, allowing the dignity that had been abandoned to be retrieved.
Just a few Soul Reapers not worth his attention.
Things that would eventually become dust of the times...
Yhwach silently turned his head, and with his motion of crushing the heart.
Seiya also seemed to have stopped struggling.
His body began to slowly lose temperature, withdrawing all power.
His entire person became like a pile of rotten meat.
He hung helplessly on Yhwach's arm, like a trophy for the victor to show off, powerlessly letting his hands drop...
Was it over?
Yhwach no longer looked toward Seiya's direction. He just half-turned and was about to withdraw his right hand at this moment.
However...
The process wasn't smooth.
Because with a faint sound, Seiya, whose eyes had become vacant, suddenly reacted again.
Snap!
Seiya, whose entire body had gone limp.
Suddenly extended both hands, completely grasping Yhwach's arm, forcing the other's movements to freeze in place.
"...?!"
Yhwach, with his broken cheekbone drooping and swollen face skin hanging, turned his head back in shock.
What happened? This guy...
Was he still not dead?
As if confirming Yhwach's speculation, Seiya's body trembled slightly, slowly opening his mouth at this moment.
"Yhwach..."
Just like the roaring shout from a few minutes ago.
The two were almost identical.
Yet it made the current ancestor of the Quincies' heart tremble.
"You... why aren't you dead yet?!"
He roared, activating what little spiritual power remained on his body.
It wasn't any precise application technique, but simply turning power into a pushing force, forcing Seiya to leave his side.
Rather than anger or resistance.
This was more like a conditioned reflex driven by fear.
The enhancement brought by Blut Arterie was quite exaggerated. Seiya's body was pressed down hard like a loaded spring, then bounced away pathetically.
The pale figure spun several times in the air, finally sliding along the ground and crashing into a crevice that had collapsed into ruins.
Smoke filled the air.
Yet it couldn't conceal that staggering standing figure.
"...?!!"
Yhwach was breathing slightly heavily.
The sudden exertion and near-limit state made it impossible for him to hide his fatigue anymore.
His eyes were full of confusion, completely unable to understand why that swaying figure in the distance could still continue moving.
Was it a controlled corpse?
But Seiya had just died right before his eyes, with no room for others to interfere.
Moreover, with the Soul Reapers' power system, they already maintained a respectful attitude toward the deceased...
Quincies? Hollows?
Regardless, it seemed difficult to find an accurate answer at this moment.
Yhwach's mind was racing.
And in the next moment, after he saw the blue network that had formed and was flickering in Seiya's chest.
His expression approached a state of stupefaction.
That was...
What?
In Seiya's penetrated chest, countless fine blue threads were emerging.
Yhwach was definitely not unfamiliar with these things...
Because this was one of the sources of Quincy power, the spiritual power hidden and flowing in the blood.
And this current manifestation...
Ransōtengai!
This referred to binding and connecting countless reishi sewn into thread form.
Making immobile parts regain control, then forcibly operating them like puppets to make them move.
Such as severed tendons and bones.
Bodies that couldn't be controlled due to aging... could all regain fighting ability through this method.
Abandoning the body, using will to transcend the limits of flesh.
This was an advanced reishi technique created by Quincies to fight to the last drop of blood, and also a kind of ultimate method in a sense.
Yhwach was not unfamiliar with this technique.
But...
He had never thought that this reishi technique could be applied to this extent.
He stared blankly at the continuously flowing reishi in Seiya's chest cavity. They were still in a rapidly writhing stage, and at this moment, with the other's body trembling...
These threads were also rapidly merging and connecting, now serving as temporary 'blood vessels,' functioning as a way to maintain bodily operations.
However, even this level was far from enough for Seiya to recover his ability to move.
So further steps were needed.
At this moment, not only did Yhwach see it, but Byakuya and Momo on the side also witnessed it with their own eyes.
They saw countless...
Countless blue threads, continuously surging and entangling at this moment, finally wrapping around into a fist-sized spherical object!
They seemed to merge into each other's gaps, in the closest possible fit, losing the contours that separated them from one another...
These threads completely fused together, beginning to twist and change.
Until the very end.
These threads lost their shape, becoming a slightly deformed yet unusually full 'lump of flesh.'
Thump...
A soft sound.
With contraction.
The blue 'heart' began to supply the body with rich nutrients and blood through reishi transportation.
The already cold body gradually became warm, the vacant eyes regained brightness.
Between pupils mixed with clarity and madness, Seiya calmly gazed ahead.
And Yhwach...
He inevitably fell silent for a while.
"You... used Ransōtengai techniques to remake a heart for yourself?"
This was a realm that even Yhwach couldn't reach, a level he couldn't understand.
Without a doubt.
Seiya's talent in Quincy abilities seemed to have surpassed everyone's level.
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Powerstones?
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