บท 93: I Think, Therefore I Am

Albrecht's battered body laid on the floor, while the blade of Byakuya's Senbonzakura hung just above his neck. The victor of this fight was clear, and all that was remaining was the finishing blow.

"I am your judge and executioner. I have deemed that you are a threat to Soul Society, and now you will be swiftly executed. Goodbye, Yhwach."

He slowly lowered his sword closer towards Albrecht's neck, until it's very tip was touching his neck. A small hint of his blood began to drip, sparking his reawakening.

Albrecht felt as if he was drowning in a sea of black water. Surrounded by nothing but an empty void. But then suddenly a light appeared above the water, and began to rapidly fly towards him, before hitting him straight in the chest.

A strange feeling began to course within him, a feeling which he had felt many times now, and one which he finally understood.

"I see... so this is what I've been chasing after... Hope huh?"

All of Seireitei began to shake as Yhwach's Reiatsu began to grow increasingly active, particularly in the area that Byakuya and Albrecht were fighting.

He suddenly jumped back as a black liquid of Reiatsu exploded from under Albrecht, engulfing his entire body as well as some of the area around him.

"What is this?"

The black liquid was quickly absorbed into Albrecht who was now standing upright and completely healed. His right arm had turned black as a new power flowed through him. One which he now claimed as his own. He quickly summoned a new sword, and pointed it towards Byakuya.

"You can call me Yhwach all you want, but I really couldn't care what you think anymore."

"Still have the gal to lie to yourself, especially when you've regained some of your power? Now there isn't a doubt in my mind telling me your not Yhwach."

He pointed his sword towards the ground, and dropped it. Strangely it sank into the floor and the blades of numerous katanas emerged in its stead before disintegrating, into what seemed to be a billion petals. Byakuya could no longer afford to hold back against him.

They all scattered around the room, lighting the room pink with their colour before all flying towards Albrecht with the desire to kill. Then suddenly, they just stopped.

"!!?"

He tried to move the petals with even greater power and control, but they didn't move an inch. Quickly adapting, he fired a Kido spell instead.

"Hadō #73. Sōren Sōkatsui!"

Byakuya pointed the palm of his hands toward Albrecht, before firing a powerful blast of blue Reiatsu which emitted sparks of white lightning. This was the most powerful Kido spell he had mastered up to this point, but even then it was futile.

The attack instantly halted as it was then torn in half by an invisible force. Albrecht stood proudly in front of Byakuya with his blade now only but a millimetre away from his neck. Speed that overwhelmed his, with a mysterious power to boot. He was experiencing De Ja Vue.

Albrecht calmly withdrew his blade before stepping away from him. Byakuya then asked,

"Your conviction. What is it?"

"To return back to my family. Nothing else."

His eyes were clear yet filled with determination. He had chosen the path and would walk it with no regrets.

"You said your name was Albrecht, right? Your life from now on will be hard. Seireitei will keep its eyes on you for as long as you live and the second you go astray, I'll be the first one to kill you. Will you agree to live your life like that from now on?"

"As long as you don't hurt the people close to me, then do whatever you need."

Yhwach was dead, but the possibility of him returning wasn't 0. Albrecht seemed to have complete control over his power for now, and he could even become Soul Societies asset in a time of need. This was the conclusion Byakuya Kuchiki had reached.

Eventually the two would return to the surface where Albrecht would be able to reunite with the Arrancar's.