Three Paces Less, Five Captains Less, One King Left
With Ichibei now in pieces, Yhwach reiterates what he said in the beginning of the chapter - that he'd have Ichibei dead in three paces less, and that appears to be exactly what happened. He then waltzes past Ichibei's body parts, and with one movement destroys the "Seal" Ichibei made, comments on how Squad Zero has fallen, cutting back to the defeated members of Squad Zero, and states that the Soul King is next in line.
I know that a lot of people are complaining about how the rest of the Squad Zero was effectively taken out off-screen while we had Yhwach dealing with Ichibei, but I only have this to say upon reflection - what were you expecting? The last time we saw them, Lille Barro had not only put a hole clean through Nimaiya's chest with "The X-Axis", but he shot through the Zanpakuto of two other Squad Zero members as a side-effect. With Lille Barro being powered-up that much, the same would hold true for the other three Elite Guard. With odds like that, it'd make sense for the battle to not get focus while their boss was dealing with Ichibei - the outcome was decided, as Lille said, the moment Yhwach stepped into the Soul King Palace.
Now, I may be looking into the panel too much, but it seems like Yhwach is bearing his teeth in anger in the page where the chapter number is shown. It does not look like his usual smile, so Yhwach definitely has some personal grudge against the Soul King.
Late As Usual
It is only after he's already left for the Soul King that Ichigo and Co finally arrive in the cannon, with a moment of comedy to spare for Ganju collapsing out of the cannon due to not being caught by the Santen Kesshun. Given the current situation, forgive me for saying if I felt that moment was out-of-place.
At any rate, Ichigo and Co exit the cannon, and we have Sado stating the obvious: "It's too quiet...what's going on here? Has the battle already ended?" This is what being late to the party gets you, Sado - a big void of silence. Be thankful you and Inoue were not hear when the battle was still going, because you'd just end up as casualties, given that the Elite Guard dealt with Squad Zero so easily.
Bring Me to Life - Call My Name, And Save Me from the Dark
They see just how late they are by sighting the blown apart corpse of Ichibei (cue horrified Inoue expression), and Ichigo explains to Sado just who that was: the monk who trained him and Rukia. Inoue says that she is going to try to fix Ichibei up, and Ganju pretty much mirrored my thoughts: it's crazy talk because he's in piece and his head is without his body.
Thank God that Ichibei had other plans, as the Monk is able to call to Ichigo despite his predicament, and tell him to call his name. Ichigo does so, and Ichibei promptly revives and restores his body, explaining to the flummoxed Ichigo the mechanics behind how it was possible despite him actually being dead - as "Power" resides in the "Name", having Ichigo call his "Name" allowed him to take some of Ichigo's power and use it to restore his power, with Ichigo acting as audience surrogate based on his reaction.
Just what did the Soul King do to give Ichibei this "Power of Names"? I suppose it explains why speaking his name caused Yhwach to lose his voice - every time he did so meant Ichibei stole some "Power" from him - but essentially self-resurrecting himself just by having Ichigo call his "Name" is definitely not an ability he would have had naturally. It seems that the Soul King did more than just bestow the Squad Zero members with the Ouken - he also gave them "Powers" that correspond to their title, if Ichibei is any indication.
The Monk's Mask, the World of Contradictions
Now that Ichibei explained his revival, he then asks Ichigo to stop Yhwach. With the Squad Zero defeated and Ichibei yet to recover his power, he states that there is no one else who can stop Yhwach. He then says that he isn't telling Ichigo to kill, but just to stop him. Ichibei then echoes what Urahara said about the Soul King at the end of "Deicide", but the wording is distinctly different. While Urahara only talks about Soul Society "becoming divided", and how the Soul King is the "linchpin" that binds them together, Ichibei calls the Soul King "the "linchpin" of the world", and that Hueco Mundo, Soul Society, the Living World, and everything would disappear. He then apologizes to Ichigo for burdening him with such a task, and asks him to protect the Soul King as Ichigo and Co runs towards the Soul King Palace.
I find it odd how this is all coming from the guy who, just a few chapters ago, was revelling in his power over "blackness" and seemed delighted at the prospect of killing Yhwach, even going so far as to try to remove Yhwach from the cycle of reincarnation entirely in the process of killing him - not to mention how he renamed Yhwach into an "ant" and tried to kill him just like he would an ant. Ichibei may have acted like the Monk we knew before this fight, but that seems to be a "mask" to hide the monster that lurks beneath it.
Which brings me to the differences between Ichibei's words and Urahara's words. While Ichibei states that the existence of all the worlds hinges on the Soul King's life, Urahara's words were more about the Soul Society becoming "divided" because the Soul King is the "linchpin" that binds everyone together in the Soul Society, and that "without such a bond, we crumble easily". So here is the question: if the Soul King is vital to maintaining the existence of the world, why are there two different men (Aizen and Yhwach) who seek his destruction?
In Aizen's case, he was incensed at Urahara for following "that thing" and not taking action, like he did. Something Aizen learnt when he saw the Soul King drove him to the lengths he did to try to kill the Soul King. While Shutara (and the UNMASKED databook) claims he sought to become God and take the Soul King's place, there is likely something really wrong with the Soul King to make Aizen go to such extremes.
As for Yhwach...
Blood War's Origin
He has seemingly succeeded in killing the Soul King, as the next page shows the Soul King run through by Yhwach's blade. As the chapter ends, Yhwach bids the Soul King farewell and makes the entire origin of the war clear with one line of dialogue: "For I have seen the future, MY FATHER."
Before we get into the wham line delivered at the end of this chapter, let us look at the Soul King himself. He is...not what I expected. The idea he has eyes similar to Yhwach may have been disproven (they even have a different shape from before yet still echo Aizen's eyes in his third Hogyoku evolution), but what was unexpected is how inhuman he actually looks. For starters, he has no arms or legs. He's literally just a head and torso with no discernible lower half to speak of. I can see where Aizen gets the perception that the Soul King is a "thing", and why Urahara could not disagree with him - "it" cannot be called a Human through any means.
Another thing is how "powerless" the Soul King seems to be. "It" made no attempts to resist Yhwach as "it" was stabbed, and that barrier around "it" did nothing to protect "it" from Yhwach. It could explain the reason why the Soul King needs Squad Zero to protect it at all - perhaps many people were right in claiming that the Soul King cannot protect "itself". Pity this may also disprove the notion of a Royal Family...Almost.
Yet we know this "thing" has taken an interest in Ichigo, and we know "it" is what bestowed the Ouken onto the Squad Zero, so we know it is intelligent and alive. "It" just does not seem like the thing that could have been born to any Human, and I'm starting to get the impression I may have to revisit an age-old theory I once made, and tweak it a bit to take our knowledge of what the Soul King is into account.
Either way, a lot of questions raised about the Soul King - what is "it", how/when did it come to be, it is truly the creator of the world, was Ichibei telling the truth when he said all of reality would collapse/disappear with "it's" death? These are just the tip of the iceberg, but the immediate revelation takes precedence:
The Soul King is the father of Yhwach. Now we know for certain what "The Thousand Year Blood War" is all about, and we can see that the history between Quincy and Shinigami goes far deeper than what the original feud was. This is not a war between Shinigami and Quincy - it is a war between father and son, between the Soul King and Yhwach.
This in itself raises new questions - none of the Shinigami, not even Ichibei, seem aware that Yhwach is the son of the Soul King, so for what reason did the Soul King never inform anyone of this? Haschwalth certainly seemed aware of it, given that he gave Yhwach his condolences upon their arrival in the Soul King Palace, so why are the Shinigami all in the dark?
How did the feud come about in the first place? Since the Shinigami-Quincy War of 1000 years indicates that the Quincy existed for a considerable amount of time before that war occurred, so Yhwach and the Soul King may not have always been at odds with one another. There needed to be an event in the past that sparked the conflict.
What future did Yhwach see? Since Yhwach can see the future, he should know better than anyone that the Soul King's death would result in the end of all the worlds...That is, if Ichibei was telling the truth. Perhaps Yhwach's ability to see the world's future after the Soul King's death is possible proof that the Soul King is not the "linchpin" to all of reality's existence as Ichibei claims. It is also entirely possible that Yhwach is taking his father's power, and therefore taking his place as the world's "linchpin", but we cannot be entirely certain until the next chapter clarifies things.
Either way, this revelation definitely explains exactly where Yhwach's power comes from. Imparting pieces of his soul unto others; 'creating' the Quincy; the Auswahlen; being able to restore power lost back to himself; "The Almighty" - all of these powers come from his being the Soul King's son, effectively making him a Demi-God, if not a full-blown God, by right of his parentage.
Which makes me wonder what the Soul King is, and how the concept of Transcendent Beings fit into the world of Bleach. My theory that Yhwach is a Transcendent Being definitely feels like reality now that his being the son of the Soul King has been revealed, but there is also the question of what the Soul King is. Because of an old theory I made a long time ago (you can find it in my blog under the November month), I'm starting to think that the Soul King may be similar to the Kikoo and Koutotsu - not as a "soul" like a Shinigami or others, but as a "Being of Reason".
Friday 26 December 2014
Thursday 18 December 2014
Bleach Two-in-One Chapter Review - Chapters 609 and 610
Bleach Chapter 609 Review
The Void Without a Name
As this chapter opens, we see the aftermath of Yhwach being struck by Ichimonji's ink, and there's a whole page spread of the ink extending out from the Vestibule Road in a horizontal line, and we cut to Yhwach completely blotted out as the chapter title "A" is shown. As Yhwach stands there helpless, Ichibei mocks him for his lost name, and states he will bestow a new name upon "the thing formerly known as Yhwach" as a whiteness emits from Ichimonji.
The effects of Ichibei's Ichimonji are truly terrifying to behold, and his power to take away names is a mix of his power over "Black" and the "power of the Void" that is sometimes seen throughout media. After all, he completely rips away a person's "Name" and "Power" from them, leaving a "black emptiness" from the void left behind by their lost name. As I stated before, this power is one of the most terrifying seen in Bleach, and leaves all struck by it at Ichibei's complete mercy.
As a Zanpakuto is a reflection of the Shinigami's soul, one must wonder what this says about Ichibei, for what kind of man must he be to bear a Zanpakuto with power over the "Black" and takes away the "Name" of all it covers in "Black"...
The "Evolved Zanpakuto"
As Ichibei's Ichimonji begins to emit a white light, he calls it "Shinuchi (True Hit)", "Shirafude Ichimonji". He goes on to explain that, based on the most recent terminology (which he invented, as you all know), "Shirafude Ichimonji" is a Bankai. Before Ichibei brought the terms "Shikai" and "Bankai" into existence, the Zanpakuto first born with such forms were called "Evolved Zanpakuto", and "Shinuchi" was the term used to describe the state that would become "Bankai".
However, there is a distinct difference in the terminology's meaning. "Shinuchi" indicates that the Zanpakuto has reached its true form, while the "Bankai" indicates the "Final Release". Moreover, the term "Evolved Zanpakuto" does not imply an end to the Zanpakuto's evolution, whereas a "Bankai" does. But while all Shinigami we know of before now - even Yamamoto - use the term "Bankai", Ichibei uses the term "Shinuchi", despite being the man who coined the term "Bankai" in the first place.
As a whole, Ichibei's Zanpakuto is quite out of the ordinary for Zanpakuto. While most Zanpakuto lack any abilities in their "sealed" state, Ichibei's paintbrush has abilities that reflect those of the Shikai. They reflect the power to a lesser extent, but his Zanpakuto still has its ability in the form of a paintbrush all the same. The same could be said for all the Royal Guard Zanpakuto, if they follow a similar pattern - their "sealed" Zanpakuto possessing abilities that reflect their Zanpakuto's true power.
Either way, this is a mystery I would like to see dug further into, because I wonder if the concept of "Evolved Zanpakuto" is actually tied in with Ichigo's Mugetsu, since "Deicide" was implying through Aizen and Ichigo's fight that "evolutions" of the Zanpakuto beyond the Bankai exist.
He Taketh Thine Name, and He Giveth Thine Name
As Ichibei explains this, he describes his Bankai's ability as being to give a "Name" to anything Ichimonji has blotted out, and he decides to vindictively give Yhwach the name "Black Ant" by painting the "Name" onto his body, giving Yhwach the "Power" of a black ant, making his life fragile and fleeting.
Yhwach appears to be in disbelief that he could only "go this far", and Ichibei continues his sentence, stating this was as "far" as Yhwach could go, how "far" behind in terms of abilities he was, and as "far" as his life will go, and tells Yhwach to carry all the lives of the Shinigami he has killed with him as he crushes him like the ant he now is, creating a giant foot construct to smash Yhwach down through the Vestibule Road and away from the Royal Realm.
Yhwach being smashed through the Vestibule Road grabs Haschwalth's attention, who calls out to "His Majesty" as Ichibei bids farwell "to the king of insects", and smashes him between two hand constructs, leaving the Quincy King to fall, believing him to be finished.
As a whole, this scene really shows Ichibei's vindictiveness and the inner "blackness" that shows through his Zanpakuto. It's not enough for him to simply take your "Name" and "Power" and the kill you; he will give you a new "Name" which reflects how lowly he thinks of you, and crush you in the manner he would crush what he named you as. It is a terrifying power, and is a further reflection of Ichibei's own soul, and how ruthless and wicked the "Head of the Shinigami" is.
However, Yhwach is not the kind of man who lets anyone take anything from him...
Eyes of God
He then clarifies on what he meant by "to go this far": he did not expect to see this far ahead with his eyes closed. We then get a close up of his eyes as a second iris and pupil splits off from the first one, and the next page immediately opens with a pillar of fire erupting from behind Ichibei, who turns around only to receive a sword to his chest as he does so. He expresses surprise at Yhwach still being alive, as the words "Black Ant" peel away from the completely black figure before him.
As Ichibei expressed his shock at how it should be impossible, Haschwalth narrates from afar how it is possible. Different translations say different things (Mangastream has him saying Yhwach "can understand all things that he sees from any given perspective"), but the one thing that seems to be constant throughout a number of the translations is this: he can see all that will happen. Haschwalth further explains that no power that Yhwach knows is able to best him, and he reveals what the meaning of "A" is:
"The Almighty". In the original Kanji, it is spoken as Zenchizennou i.e. "Omniscient and Omnipotent", and the two-page spread in which this is revealed shows us that both of Yhwach's eyes now have two irises and pupils in them.
Kubo is really going all-out with the symbolism here, as "God almighty" is one of the terms used to describe the Abrahamic God. As if his name being derived from YHWH was not enough. Either way, even if the original chapter translations left things up to interpretation, there is no denying the immediate effect of Yhwach activating "The Almighty" - the complete negation of Ichibei's Zanpakuto ability.
NOTE: I did not notice this before (and I have JohosafatsStudios to thank for pointing this out), but Yhwach also seems to gain these black marks below his eyes upon activating "The Almighty".
Bleach Chapter 610 Review
"...And Regain His Power After Nine Years"
In this chapter, Haschwalth explains that Yhwach usually fights with "closed eyes", and we see that he is talking to Uryu as he explains this. He clarifies it is not a matter of him taking his opponents lightly, and recites the "Kaiser Gesang", stating that he did not "open" his eyes during the "Nine Years for Power" because he could end up losing control over the power of his letter "A", and the abilities of all the Stern Ritter would end up being taken.
Since his eyes are now "open", the "Nine Years for Power" have come to an end, and states that the time for the Quincy's prayers, which spans across a thousand years, to be answered has finally come, and we see a double-page spread of Yhwach, with his Spirit Weapon now becoming pure white and radiating power.
What comes after the "Nine Years of Power" is "The Reclamation of the World In Nine Days", and I wonder if this is what Haschwalth meant by the Quincy's prayers - their prayers were for Yhwach to "reclaim the world". Yhwach spoke of the world "coming to an end in nine days", so I wonder if he was not referring to the world's physical destruction, but the destruction of the world created by the Shinigami. This certainly seems to be the case, since Yhwach wasted no time in going to the Soul King Palace when the opportunity presented itself.
The Eye Of Omniscience and Omnipotence
As Ichibei recovers from his wound, Yhwach exchanges bards back at Ichibei, reciting the questions that Ichibei must be asking himself, such as "how did he survive", "how did he free himself from my power", and "why am I the one about to be destroyed". He then proceeds to explain to Ichibei what his ability is - given that he can afford to, considering what he says.
Yhwach tells Ichibei that, with his eyes now "opened", he can see everything from the present all the way to the future. He states that he "knows"/"understands" everything he sees, and that he can make use of any power that he knows/make the "abilities" he knows become his allies. In other words, as long as he "knows" a person's power, they cannot defeat him, much less hurt him, with that power. That is "The Almighty".
The translations are a bit confusing on both sides when compared to each other, but the general message seems to be the same - once Yhwach "knows" a power or ability, he cannot be affected by it because he can "make use of it".
I'll probably sound like a broken record, but I will say it again: Yhwach consistently has shown himself to possess powers that I have not seen of anything else in the series, and I believe that makes him a Transcendent Being. I mean, he can see into the future, and he can make use of any abilities he comes "to know" through his eyes. This is on top of his ability to impart a piece of his soul upon others, the Auswahlen, being able to restore his own power back to himself if it were to be taken from him, and only Kubo knows what else.
And he is only starting to show us the scope of his power at this point!
The Perpetual "Blackness"
Ichibei, on the other hand, is unfazed, and seems to think that Yhwach defeating him is some kind of joke.
Really, even though he just up and negated your power?
This is where the translations take their standard complete deviation from one another. While they both have Ichibei telling Yhwach to not get too far ahead of himself because he removed the name "Black Ant", the next set of text is where the deviation comes in. Mangapanda has him call Yhwach "the one once known as Yhwach" again, in reference to his taking away his "Name" before, but Mangastream has him claiming the name "Yhwach" never meant anything to begin with. A re-iteration of what Ichibei did in the past in one, a blasphemous boast in the other.
Given that Yhwach seems to have completely cleaned himself of Ichimonji's "black ink", I might have to go with Mangastream on this one.
Ichibei asks how Yhwach will defeat him if he is still surrounded by "blackness" (like his own mantle), and claims that, no matter how much Yhwach may know, all the "blackness" is still his to control. A wave of "blackness" surges from Yhwach around Ichibei as the around around them is engulfed in "blackness", and we see echoes of Yamamoto once more as something familiar begins - the incantation for a Zanpakuto technique, and the longest incantation for a spells in the series period:
"Oh Twilight, and everlasting darkness, come to me, come and have a drink, and once you do, your life will fade. The flowers will bloom along the road to hell. Where are the fish, let me paint them black, cut them into eight, and cook them well atop a flame of black, and then enjoy the meal. All that's left are bones of white, make them a gravestone, and pay respect. May they never be reborn again, so that you won't be sacrificed as food."
The ritual involved in this is quite complex as well, as a bowl made of "blackness" forms in his hand, "black" pours into the bowl, he pours it around him into two circles. He then stabs Ichimonji into the ground as he completes the incantation for his final technique - Futen Daisatsuryou ("Slaughterous Mausoleum of Non-Reincarnation").
The "Blackness" of the Soul
Ichibei tells us that the Futen Daisatsuryou was made from the "blackness" of one hundred nights from the Soul Society's future, and he made it to be Yhwach's final resting place. Now, Mangastream says it is a hundred nights from the Soul Society a hundred years in the future, while Mangapanda just says Soul Society's future. I'll once again wait on another translation to see what this means, but I'll just stick with saying its future for now.
Depending on the translation, either it takes away the "blackness" Yhwach is enveloped in, or the "blackness" within him, latter which might led credence to those theorizing that the "blackness" taken from people is also on a metaphysical level i.e. the "blackness" of their soul. The technique will also take away the target's flesh, blood, and bones, until it is completely crushed and made into nothingness. He even says there will be no chance for reincarnation to whomever is taken by the technique, and he tells Yhwach to enjoy his descent into a pitch-black Hell.
Remember what I said about the Zanpakuto reflecting the Shinigami's soul, and what Ichimonji said about Ichibei's soul? Well, if there was a man who was the embodiment of evil in Bleach, I actually would not say it is Yhwach; at this point in time, I would say it is Ichibei Hyosube.
Akin to Yamamoto, Ichibei possesses a technique with his Zanpakuto requiring an incantation, but the nature of the technique also reflects the darkness that exists in both of their souls - in Ichibei's case, even more so. Yamamoto can reanimate all the dead he has ever killed via his Zanpakuto's flames, and use them in battle; on the other hand, Ichibei's technique summons this pitch-black mausoleum - created from a hundred nights of darkness stolen from Soul Society's future, no less - that crushes anything consumed by it into complete nothingness, even negating the possibility of the soul's reincarnation.
I do not know if the "blackness" of the technique actually destroys the soul itself, or if the person's soul is trapped in the mausoleum's "blackness" for all eternity - it is a mausoleum, after all - but this technique, the incantation involved, and the name itself just screams out to me - screams that Ichibei is one of the most vile beings in existence. The Shinigami were exterminating the Quincy because the Quincy are believed to destroy the souls of Hollows - I say "believed" because Yhwach's ability and connection to the Quincy may throw that into question - but Ichibei possesses a technique that not only transcends Time to steal the "blackness" from a hundred nights in the Soul Society's future to fuel it, but removes a soul from the cycle of reincarnation entirely, either through destroying it outright or trapping it in the mausoleum for eternity.
The fact that he knows how many nights' "blackness" it took to create the mausoleum means Ichibei has used this technique once before in the past, meaning someone (or a whole group of them) either had their souls trapped in this mausoleum or crushed entirely. If Ichibei was a member of the Gotei 13 in the past (their name as Squad Zero indicates a relation to the Gotei 13), then he is living proof that Yhwach was speaking the truth when he described the original Gotei as blood-thirsty, cold-hearted killers. He is a vicious monster who revels in his power over "blackness" and the dominance it gives him over others, from taking away their "Names" and renaming, to crushing them so absolutely that their souls are removed from the cycle of reincarnation entirely.
He may have the title of "Monk", but the true personality behind the jovial behaviour he exhibited before is sure as hell not that of a true monk. As it stands, this fight has really shown what Ichibei's true nature is like. It seems to be a tendency in Bleach that a person's heart is revealed through the battles they take place in (one of Ichigo's main traits is to see the hearts of anyone he clashes blades with), and we have definitely seen the true blackness of Ichibei's own heart through his fight against Yhwach.
Speaking of Yhwach...
I am Yhwach
When Ichibei tells Yhwach to enjoy his descent into a pitch, black hell, the speech bubble also connects to Yhwach, meaning he is saying the exact same thing as Ichibei. This shocks Ichibei, and Yhwach reminds Ichibei that he is all-seeing. As such, there is no ability he cannot "comprehend" and cannot "counter", and that everything he sees becomes powerless before him - just as a THIRD iris and pupil appear in his eye alongside the other two - and asks Ichibei if he still thinks his name means nothing/he has lost his name.
He declares that he is Yhwach, "the one who shall take everything from you", raises his hand, and completely blasts away Ichibei's torso in one of the most gruesome deaths seen in Bleach.
Now, unless Ichibei has something crazy up his sleeve, such as the "blackness" reconstituting him so long as Futen Daisatsuryou is active...He. Is. Dead. I mean, you can see the vertebrae of his neck attached to his now bodiless head. There is no coming back from that kind of destruction. Unless it's some kind of darkness clone, he's dead. But any possibilities of him surviving would be negated by the fact that Yhwach, who can see into the future, would see it coming. Unless Yhwach is stated to know it's not the real Ichibei and destroyed the clone to draw him out, he is dead.
Unless the Spirit King can do for him what Yhwach did for the Elite Guard, Ichibei is dead. But even if that were possible, Yhwach would probably just do what he did to Yamamoto's corpse and blow the rest of his body away, and ensure that no force in the world can bring him back.
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Kubo is a madman.
Bleach is the kind of series where the power of a person's ability reflects their overall potential power, so there is always a relation between how powerful a character is depicted as being or can become, and the overall power displayed by their ability. Whenever a powerful character is revealed in Bleach, you can sure as hell expect them to have an ability that is just as powerful.
That is certainly the trend with abilities among the Shinigami - all the most powerful Zanpakuto are generally possessed by the most powerful Shinigami, or Shinigami who have immense potential.
But with this last arc, Kubo is raising the bar to a level no one could possibly have anticipated prior to this arc.
First, Zanka no Tachi was so powerful that it could destroy Soul Society if left active for too long; Gremmy's "The Visionary" could create a Seireitei-razing meteor, and Zaraki smashed that meteor to pieces with Nozarashi; Ichibei's Ichimonji can take the night's "blackness" from one hundred days of the Soul Society's future to create a mausoleum of blackness that crushes anything consumed by it so thoroughly that they cannot reincarnate.
But Yhwach tops all that. He can see everything in front of him all the way into the distance future; he can "know" and understand any ability he sees, "make use of its power", and completely negate it, even if that ability is something as immensely powerful as Ichimonji's "power of black", along with possessing enough power to completely blast away Ichibei's torso in an instant when "three eyes are open".
At this point, I believe that there will be at least one more eye that "opens" at this point. Hell, perhaps it will be a fourth set of irises and pupils and that way his eyes will look the same as those of the Spirit King, or perhaps it will be a third eye on his forehead to give him seven in total, further pushing the symbolism of him being God, as God is said to have "seven eyes" that represent the "Seven Spirits of God".
I expect this kind of shit from MITSUTOSHI'S TORIKO, but Kubo just keeps pushing the envelope even further. What happened to the days when the strength of the Captains of the Gotei 13 was actually considered significant? When we were in awe of the power of the Gotei 13 Captains? All the craziness happening in this arc is making them look like scrubs, and we have not even returned to the levels of power we saw in "Deicide".
I am being proven right in my thinking that the powers seen in "Deicide" were a preview for things to come. But despite claiming that, I did not even know what coming. I did not even think that the powers of the Shinigami and the other main races could come even close to what we've seen in this arc thus far.
It's incredible, and I'm loving every chapter of it.
The Void Without a Name
As this chapter opens, we see the aftermath of Yhwach being struck by Ichimonji's ink, and there's a whole page spread of the ink extending out from the Vestibule Road in a horizontal line, and we cut to Yhwach completely blotted out as the chapter title "A" is shown. As Yhwach stands there helpless, Ichibei mocks him for his lost name, and states he will bestow a new name upon "the thing formerly known as Yhwach" as a whiteness emits from Ichimonji.
The effects of Ichibei's Ichimonji are truly terrifying to behold, and his power to take away names is a mix of his power over "Black" and the "power of the Void" that is sometimes seen throughout media. After all, he completely rips away a person's "Name" and "Power" from them, leaving a "black emptiness" from the void left behind by their lost name. As I stated before, this power is one of the most terrifying seen in Bleach, and leaves all struck by it at Ichibei's complete mercy.
As a Zanpakuto is a reflection of the Shinigami's soul, one must wonder what this says about Ichibei, for what kind of man must he be to bear a Zanpakuto with power over the "Black" and takes away the "Name" of all it covers in "Black"...
The "Evolved Zanpakuto"
As Ichibei's Ichimonji begins to emit a white light, he calls it "Shinuchi (True Hit)", "Shirafude Ichimonji". He goes on to explain that, based on the most recent terminology (which he invented, as you all know), "Shirafude Ichimonji" is a Bankai. Before Ichibei brought the terms "Shikai" and "Bankai" into existence, the Zanpakuto first born with such forms were called "Evolved Zanpakuto", and "Shinuchi" was the term used to describe the state that would become "Bankai".
However, there is a distinct difference in the terminology's meaning. "Shinuchi" indicates that the Zanpakuto has reached its true form, while the "Bankai" indicates the "Final Release". Moreover, the term "Evolved Zanpakuto" does not imply an end to the Zanpakuto's evolution, whereas a "Bankai" does. But while all Shinigami we know of before now - even Yamamoto - use the term "Bankai", Ichibei uses the term "Shinuchi", despite being the man who coined the term "Bankai" in the first place.
As a whole, Ichibei's Zanpakuto is quite out of the ordinary for Zanpakuto. While most Zanpakuto lack any abilities in their "sealed" state, Ichibei's paintbrush has abilities that reflect those of the Shikai. They reflect the power to a lesser extent, but his Zanpakuto still has its ability in the form of a paintbrush all the same. The same could be said for all the Royal Guard Zanpakuto, if they follow a similar pattern - their "sealed" Zanpakuto possessing abilities that reflect their Zanpakuto's true power.
Either way, this is a mystery I would like to see dug further into, because I wonder if the concept of "Evolved Zanpakuto" is actually tied in with Ichigo's Mugetsu, since "Deicide" was implying through Aizen and Ichigo's fight that "evolutions" of the Zanpakuto beyond the Bankai exist.
He Taketh Thine Name, and He Giveth Thine Name
As Ichibei explains this, he describes his Bankai's ability as being to give a "Name" to anything Ichimonji has blotted out, and he decides to vindictively give Yhwach the name "Black Ant" by painting the "Name" onto his body, giving Yhwach the "Power" of a black ant, making his life fragile and fleeting.
Yhwach appears to be in disbelief that he could only "go this far", and Ichibei continues his sentence, stating this was as "far" as Yhwach could go, how "far" behind in terms of abilities he was, and as "far" as his life will go, and tells Yhwach to carry all the lives of the Shinigami he has killed with him as he crushes him like the ant he now is, creating a giant foot construct to smash Yhwach down through the Vestibule Road and away from the Royal Realm.
Yhwach being smashed through the Vestibule Road grabs Haschwalth's attention, who calls out to "His Majesty" as Ichibei bids farwell "to the king of insects", and smashes him between two hand constructs, leaving the Quincy King to fall, believing him to be finished.
As a whole, this scene really shows Ichibei's vindictiveness and the inner "blackness" that shows through his Zanpakuto. It's not enough for him to simply take your "Name" and "Power" and the kill you; he will give you a new "Name" which reflects how lowly he thinks of you, and crush you in the manner he would crush what he named you as. It is a terrifying power, and is a further reflection of Ichibei's own soul, and how ruthless and wicked the "Head of the Shinigami" is.
However, Yhwach is not the kind of man who lets anyone take anything from him...
Eyes of God
He then clarifies on what he meant by "to go this far": he did not expect to see this far ahead with his eyes closed. We then get a close up of his eyes as a second iris and pupil splits off from the first one, and the next page immediately opens with a pillar of fire erupting from behind Ichibei, who turns around only to receive a sword to his chest as he does so. He expresses surprise at Yhwach still being alive, as the words "Black Ant" peel away from the completely black figure before him.
As Ichibei expressed his shock at how it should be impossible, Haschwalth narrates from afar how it is possible. Different translations say different things (Mangastream has him saying Yhwach "can understand all things that he sees from any given perspective"), but the one thing that seems to be constant throughout a number of the translations is this: he can see all that will happen. Haschwalth further explains that no power that Yhwach knows is able to best him, and he reveals what the meaning of "A" is:
"The Almighty". In the original Kanji, it is spoken as Zenchizennou i.e. "Omniscient and Omnipotent", and the two-page spread in which this is revealed shows us that both of Yhwach's eyes now have two irises and pupils in them.
Kubo is really going all-out with the symbolism here, as "God almighty" is one of the terms used to describe the Abrahamic God. As if his name being derived from YHWH was not enough. Either way, even if the original chapter translations left things up to interpretation, there is no denying the immediate effect of Yhwach activating "The Almighty" - the complete negation of Ichibei's Zanpakuto ability.
NOTE: I did not notice this before (and I have JohosafatsStudios to thank for pointing this out), but Yhwach also seems to gain these black marks below his eyes upon activating "The Almighty".
Bleach Chapter 610 Review
"...And Regain His Power After Nine Years"
In this chapter, Haschwalth explains that Yhwach usually fights with "closed eyes", and we see that he is talking to Uryu as he explains this. He clarifies it is not a matter of him taking his opponents lightly, and recites the "Kaiser Gesang", stating that he did not "open" his eyes during the "Nine Years for Power" because he could end up losing control over the power of his letter "A", and the abilities of all the Stern Ritter would end up being taken.
Since his eyes are now "open", the "Nine Years for Power" have come to an end, and states that the time for the Quincy's prayers, which spans across a thousand years, to be answered has finally come, and we see a double-page spread of Yhwach, with his Spirit Weapon now becoming pure white and radiating power.
What comes after the "Nine Years of Power" is "The Reclamation of the World In Nine Days", and I wonder if this is what Haschwalth meant by the Quincy's prayers - their prayers were for Yhwach to "reclaim the world". Yhwach spoke of the world "coming to an end in nine days", so I wonder if he was not referring to the world's physical destruction, but the destruction of the world created by the Shinigami. This certainly seems to be the case, since Yhwach wasted no time in going to the Soul King Palace when the opportunity presented itself.
The Eye Of Omniscience and Omnipotence
As Ichibei recovers from his wound, Yhwach exchanges bards back at Ichibei, reciting the questions that Ichibei must be asking himself, such as "how did he survive", "how did he free himself from my power", and "why am I the one about to be destroyed". He then proceeds to explain to Ichibei what his ability is - given that he can afford to, considering what he says.
Yhwach tells Ichibei that, with his eyes now "opened", he can see everything from the present all the way to the future. He states that he "knows"/"understands" everything he sees, and that he can make use of any power that he knows/make the "abilities" he knows become his allies. In other words, as long as he "knows" a person's power, they cannot defeat him, much less hurt him, with that power. That is "The Almighty".
The translations are a bit confusing on both sides when compared to each other, but the general message seems to be the same - once Yhwach "knows" a power or ability, he cannot be affected by it because he can "make use of it".
I'll probably sound like a broken record, but I will say it again: Yhwach consistently has shown himself to possess powers that I have not seen of anything else in the series, and I believe that makes him a Transcendent Being. I mean, he can see into the future, and he can make use of any abilities he comes "to know" through his eyes. This is on top of his ability to impart a piece of his soul upon others, the Auswahlen, being able to restore his own power back to himself if it were to be taken from him, and only Kubo knows what else.
And he is only starting to show us the scope of his power at this point!
The Perpetual "Blackness"
Ichibei, on the other hand, is unfazed, and seems to think that Yhwach defeating him is some kind of joke.
Really, even though he just up and negated your power?
This is where the translations take their standard complete deviation from one another. While they both have Ichibei telling Yhwach to not get too far ahead of himself because he removed the name "Black Ant", the next set of text is where the deviation comes in. Mangapanda has him call Yhwach "the one once known as Yhwach" again, in reference to his taking away his "Name" before, but Mangastream has him claiming the name "Yhwach" never meant anything to begin with. A re-iteration of what Ichibei did in the past in one, a blasphemous boast in the other.
Given that Yhwach seems to have completely cleaned himself of Ichimonji's "black ink", I might have to go with Mangastream on this one.
Ichibei asks how Yhwach will defeat him if he is still surrounded by "blackness" (like his own mantle), and claims that, no matter how much Yhwach may know, all the "blackness" is still his to control. A wave of "blackness" surges from Yhwach around Ichibei as the around around them is engulfed in "blackness", and we see echoes of Yamamoto once more as something familiar begins - the incantation for a Zanpakuto technique, and the longest incantation for a spells in the series period:
"Oh Twilight, and everlasting darkness, come to me, come and have a drink, and once you do, your life will fade. The flowers will bloom along the road to hell. Where are the fish, let me paint them black, cut them into eight, and cook them well atop a flame of black, and then enjoy the meal. All that's left are bones of white, make them a gravestone, and pay respect. May they never be reborn again, so that you won't be sacrificed as food."
The ritual involved in this is quite complex as well, as a bowl made of "blackness" forms in his hand, "black" pours into the bowl, he pours it around him into two circles. He then stabs Ichimonji into the ground as he completes the incantation for his final technique - Futen Daisatsuryou ("Slaughterous Mausoleum of Non-Reincarnation").
The "Blackness" of the Soul
Ichibei tells us that the Futen Daisatsuryou was made from the "blackness" of one hundred nights from the Soul Society's future, and he made it to be Yhwach's final resting place. Now, Mangastream says it is a hundred nights from the Soul Society a hundred years in the future, while Mangapanda just says Soul Society's future. I'll once again wait on another translation to see what this means, but I'll just stick with saying its future for now.
Depending on the translation, either it takes away the "blackness" Yhwach is enveloped in, or the "blackness" within him, latter which might led credence to those theorizing that the "blackness" taken from people is also on a metaphysical level i.e. the "blackness" of their soul. The technique will also take away the target's flesh, blood, and bones, until it is completely crushed and made into nothingness. He even says there will be no chance for reincarnation to whomever is taken by the technique, and he tells Yhwach to enjoy his descent into a pitch-black Hell.
Remember what I said about the Zanpakuto reflecting the Shinigami's soul, and what Ichimonji said about Ichibei's soul? Well, if there was a man who was the embodiment of evil in Bleach, I actually would not say it is Yhwach; at this point in time, I would say it is Ichibei Hyosube.
Akin to Yamamoto, Ichibei possesses a technique with his Zanpakuto requiring an incantation, but the nature of the technique also reflects the darkness that exists in both of their souls - in Ichibei's case, even more so. Yamamoto can reanimate all the dead he has ever killed via his Zanpakuto's flames, and use them in battle; on the other hand, Ichibei's technique summons this pitch-black mausoleum - created from a hundred nights of darkness stolen from Soul Society's future, no less - that crushes anything consumed by it into complete nothingness, even negating the possibility of the soul's reincarnation.
I do not know if the "blackness" of the technique actually destroys the soul itself, or if the person's soul is trapped in the mausoleum's "blackness" for all eternity - it is a mausoleum, after all - but this technique, the incantation involved, and the name itself just screams out to me - screams that Ichibei is one of the most vile beings in existence. The Shinigami were exterminating the Quincy because the Quincy are believed to destroy the souls of Hollows - I say "believed" because Yhwach's ability and connection to the Quincy may throw that into question - but Ichibei possesses a technique that not only transcends Time to steal the "blackness" from a hundred nights in the Soul Society's future to fuel it, but removes a soul from the cycle of reincarnation entirely, either through destroying it outright or trapping it in the mausoleum for eternity.
The fact that he knows how many nights' "blackness" it took to create the mausoleum means Ichibei has used this technique once before in the past, meaning someone (or a whole group of them) either had their souls trapped in this mausoleum or crushed entirely. If Ichibei was a member of the Gotei 13 in the past (their name as Squad Zero indicates a relation to the Gotei 13), then he is living proof that Yhwach was speaking the truth when he described the original Gotei as blood-thirsty, cold-hearted killers. He is a vicious monster who revels in his power over "blackness" and the dominance it gives him over others, from taking away their "Names" and renaming, to crushing them so absolutely that their souls are removed from the cycle of reincarnation entirely.
He may have the title of "Monk", but the true personality behind the jovial behaviour he exhibited before is sure as hell not that of a true monk. As it stands, this fight has really shown what Ichibei's true nature is like. It seems to be a tendency in Bleach that a person's heart is revealed through the battles they take place in (one of Ichigo's main traits is to see the hearts of anyone he clashes blades with), and we have definitely seen the true blackness of Ichibei's own heart through his fight against Yhwach.
Speaking of Yhwach...
I am Yhwach
When Ichibei tells Yhwach to enjoy his descent into a pitch, black hell, the speech bubble also connects to Yhwach, meaning he is saying the exact same thing as Ichibei. This shocks Ichibei, and Yhwach reminds Ichibei that he is all-seeing. As such, there is no ability he cannot "comprehend" and cannot "counter", and that everything he sees becomes powerless before him - just as a THIRD iris and pupil appear in his eye alongside the other two - and asks Ichibei if he still thinks his name means nothing/he has lost his name.
He declares that he is Yhwach, "the one who shall take everything from you", raises his hand, and completely blasts away Ichibei's torso in one of the most gruesome deaths seen in Bleach.
Now, unless Ichibei has something crazy up his sleeve, such as the "blackness" reconstituting him so long as Futen Daisatsuryou is active...He. Is. Dead. I mean, you can see the vertebrae of his neck attached to his now bodiless head. There is no coming back from that kind of destruction. Unless it's some kind of darkness clone, he's dead. But any possibilities of him surviving would be negated by the fact that Yhwach, who can see into the future, would see it coming. Unless Yhwach is stated to know it's not the real Ichibei and destroyed the clone to draw him out, he is dead.
Unless the Spirit King can do for him what Yhwach did for the Elite Guard, Ichibei is dead. But even if that were possible, Yhwach would probably just do what he did to Yamamoto's corpse and blow the rest of his body away, and ensure that no force in the world can bring him back.
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Kubo is a madman.
Bleach is the kind of series where the power of a person's ability reflects their overall potential power, so there is always a relation between how powerful a character is depicted as being or can become, and the overall power displayed by their ability. Whenever a powerful character is revealed in Bleach, you can sure as hell expect them to have an ability that is just as powerful.
That is certainly the trend with abilities among the Shinigami - all the most powerful Zanpakuto are generally possessed by the most powerful Shinigami, or Shinigami who have immense potential.
But with this last arc, Kubo is raising the bar to a level no one could possibly have anticipated prior to this arc.
First, Zanka no Tachi was so powerful that it could destroy Soul Society if left active for too long; Gremmy's "The Visionary" could create a Seireitei-razing meteor, and Zaraki smashed that meteor to pieces with Nozarashi; Ichibei's Ichimonji can take the night's "blackness" from one hundred days of the Soul Society's future to create a mausoleum of blackness that crushes anything consumed by it so thoroughly that they cannot reincarnate.
But Yhwach tops all that. He can see everything in front of him all the way into the distance future; he can "know" and understand any ability he sees, "make use of its power", and completely negate it, even if that ability is something as immensely powerful as Ichimonji's "power of black", along with possessing enough power to completely blast away Ichibei's torso in an instant when "three eyes are open".
At this point, I believe that there will be at least one more eye that "opens" at this point. Hell, perhaps it will be a fourth set of irises and pupils and that way his eyes will look the same as those of the Spirit King, or perhaps it will be a third eye on his forehead to give him seven in total, further pushing the symbolism of him being God, as God is said to have "seven eyes" that represent the "Seven Spirits of God".
I expect this kind of shit from MITSUTOSHI'S TORIKO, but Kubo just keeps pushing the envelope even further. What happened to the days when the strength of the Captains of the Gotei 13 was actually considered significant? When we were in awe of the power of the Gotei 13 Captains? All the craziness happening in this arc is making them look like scrubs, and we have not even returned to the levels of power we saw in "Deicide".
I am being proven right in my thinking that the powers seen in "Deicide" were a preview for things to come. But despite claiming that, I did not even know what coming. I did not even think that the powers of the Shinigami and the other main races could come even close to what we've seen in this arc thus far.
It's incredible, and I'm loving every chapter of it.
Thursday 4 December 2014
Bleach Three-In-One Chapter Review - Chapters 606, 607 and 608
It has been a while since I engaged in a chapter review, so forgive me for not making reviews for the last two weeks.
Bleach 606 - Divine Division
The Trouble-Making King
The chapter picks up where we left off in the previous one with Ichibei lamenting Yhwach's behaviour. He goes on about how Yhwach refuses to behave despite being told not to call Ichibei's name and being sent flying by Senri Tsuutenshou to repent for his actions. Ichibei then mentions that, despite having gotten older, Yhwach is still a "trouble-making brat", and he states that now he has no choice but to kill Yhwach as they prepare to clash.
While this statement could disprove some theories I had in my mind, the fact that Ichibei calls Yhwach a "trouble-making brat" means that Ichibei is far older than Yhwach. This makes sense because Ichibei is one of the founding fathers of Soul Society, and it also presents a possible interpretation as to what relationship Yhwach initially had with the Shinigami before the war of 1000 years ago.
After all, Yhwach must have had a relationship with Yamamoto and the older Shinigami before the war of 1000 years ago if he is on such familiar terms with them.
Gathering of the Exiles
We cut back down to the Seireitei as a figure is running with a large package over their heads calling to Nee-sama. This will be addressed later, because this section of the chapter heralds the return of characters we haven't seen for a long time.
We see Urahara drawing a line outside of the area where the 12th Division's lab is, and Hiyori and the other Visoreds make their entrance into the Seireitei. While Urahara and Hiyori begin trading banter, Hiyori then asks why he sent Yoruichi and Ichigo on ahead, because the original plan was for them to meet up and all go together. While Urahara defends his actions by saying the situation changed (Yhwach going up to the Royal Realm immediately after Ichigo's arrival) and Hiyori accuses Urahara of not caring whether or not Ichigo and Yoruichi die so long as they slow down Yhwach.
This brings up a wide range of interesting implications. For starter, it implies there may be another method of reaching the Royal Realm that Urahara has up his sleeve but did not use before. The one thing I could think of is the two Forbidden Kido spells that Tessai used in "Turn Back the Pendulum", since their being able to take one up to the Royal Realm could be reason why their use is forbidden.
But Hiyori's accusation of Urahara not caring if Yoruichi and Ichigo die has the more troubling implications. While Hiyori could very well be wrong, it does cast Urahara's actions into doubt.
Before Urahara can form an answer, our mystery figure shows up.
Warden of the Divine Armaments
We quickly learn that this is Yuushiro Shihouin, the younger brother of Yoruichi and the 23rd Head of the Shihouin Clan, and that he was bringing what I assume are the "Divine Armaments" to Yoruichi to help her. When he realizes Yoruichi already left, he starts crying as Urahara assures him that the items he brought would help Yoruichi a lot, and that it was for the sake of the Seireitei that he sent Yoruichi ahead.
NOTE: Someone on tumblr broke down that Yushiro is a boy by looking at the Kanji of the name "Yuushirou", and the "rou" in the name means "son".
While some people may think this came out of nowhere, it was established back in the Soul Society arc that the Shihouin Clan was still active, since Soi Fon indicated that the Shihouin Clan would have fallen in a manner similar to the Shiba if it was learnt she was collaborating with the Ryoka. The fact that the Clan did not fall after its last head vanished indicates that there needed to be someone to replace Yoruichi as the Head of the Clan. As this chapter shows, that burden apparently fell to Yuushirou.
To continue on, Urahara invites everyone into the 12th Division, Hiyori recalls that she really hates it when Urahara says things are "for the good of the Seireitei", which is a line that Mayuri said a while back as well. While Mayuri would probably vivisect anyone who said so, he's more like Urahara than he likes to think, since both of them both morally ambiguous things "for the good of the Seireitei".
Inter-Script: For the past two and a half chapters, the focus has been solely on the fight between Ichibei and Yhwach. I didn't do last week's review because I had initially thought to wait out the entire fight before I give my thoughts on the chapter. But considering the events of this chapter, I decided to get caught up.
Half the Name It Used To Have
We cut back up to the fight between Ichibei and Yhwach, with brush clashing against blade as the Quincy King comments on how Ichibei's demeanour has changed, bringing up how Ichibei seems remarkably happy and that the decision to kill Yhwach turned Ichibei's expressions rather ghastly. It is curious that Yhwach brings this up, as if he has not seen this side of Ichibei before, despite the two apparently knowing each other in the past.
The two continue exchanging blows and Yhwach blocks the paintbrush with his left hand, asking if their current clash is all that Ichibei has got.
As it turns out, it was a mistake on Yhwach's part, because Ichibei reveals that his brush "cuts" through the "Name" instead of flesh, which causes Yhwach's arms to drop as they are weakened from having their name cut in half. The Japanese name for "Arm" is made up of two Kanji, which taken separately are "U" and "De", meaning the name of Yhwach's "Arm" was cut in half to "U".
Because of this, the strength and capabilities of Yhwach's arm have now been reduced by half, making it difficult to even swing his sword. As he says this, he proceeds to "cut" Yhwach's "Body", reducing its power by half and sends Yhwach flying back to the Vestibule Road with one powerful strike of his brush.
Demon Monk
Having struck "Yhw" such a blow, he then mockingly asks "Yhw" how it feels to be smashed to pieces by the Shinigami Leader he despises with only half his strength, to which "Yhw" dauntlessly replies by asking if he looks like he is suffering, as he prepares a technique.
NOTE: I say "Yhw" because two translations have Ichibei referring to Yhwach as such, having just cut Yhwach's power in half.
Throughout this entire chapter, we can see clearly the change in demeanour that Yhwach was talking about. His appearance in a number of scenes seem straight up demonic compared to the jovial personality he seemed to have before, as if the battle is bringing out a much darker side of the leader of Squad Zero. It is also quite the turn around to see Yhwach struggling against Ichibei in such a manner, since he was unstoppable against anyone else he thought, and his power is beyond the capabilities of normal individuals.
Chapter 607 - The Master
To Myself I Give All Things, For Myself I Take Away All Things
Continuing from where we left off, Yhwach then explains that there is no better feeling than what he is feeling right now, since he sees his predicament as the Leader of Squad Zero, the individuals who watch over the Shinigami, as fearing his power to the extent that he has to cut it in half. But he calls it a shame, because he reveals that he can just restore any power that he has lost back to himself, and he takes the reishi runes and does just that.
When I originally commented in the chapter thread, I had assumed that the power was the Kirchenlied, but it is in fact the same power he used to restore his "Voice" in 605. It is an ability like this that makes me think Yhwach is a Transcendent Being by nature, because he is basically a superior, Humanoid Hogyoku at this point. He can bestow Schrifts to Quincy to draw out their latent power, his soul fragments can cause "wounds" impossible for one soul to heal to finally mend, and he also showed he can use Auswahlen to distribute "Power" to Quincy he deems essential by taking it from those deemed unnecessary.
Now he is doing this with himself again, restoring all the abilities of his "Arm" and "Body" that Ichibei had reduced by half before. This actually surprises Ichibei, and Yhwach informs him that no one can simply take something from him even if they had abilities like Ichibei's, and he states his belief that everything in the world exists for his taking. This statement really gives strong insight into Yhwach as an individual, and ties in with his power to bestow a part of his soul unto others and to absorb their souls upon their deaths. It could show why he feels no emotion when using Auswahlen on the Quincy - he feels their power exists for his to take, which is backed up by Robert stating that the Stern Ritter's reason for existence is to live for and to die for Yhwach.
For the Sake of Preserving Dignity
Having restored his power back to himself, Yhwach then directs the columns of reishi against Ichibei, who claps his hands togethers and stops the stream of reishi cold, describing Yhwach as someone who takes people's kindness for granted. He explains that he chose to only take away "half" of Yhwach's abilities because it would forever tarnish the Quincy's reputation if he had crushed Yhwach at full power, but states that his reputation isn't worth anything if he's dead anyway, and prepares the Hyappo Rankan to fire at Yhwach.
While it seems like Ichibei is taking it easy against Yhwach, it really shows how confident Ichibei is in his ability to take down Yhwach, and he seems undaunted by Yhwach's ability. But his "kindness" is more of a mocking one than anything else, since he was smiling with glee when talking about how the Quincy's reputation would be tarnished if he killed Yhwach at full power.
Pinnacle Of Their Races
As the Hyappo Rankan is cast, black grid-like constructs extend out of Yhwach's arm and form a barrier around him, and Hyappo Rankan completely fails to get through. Ichibei exclaims that it is the Blut Vene, but Yhwach corrects him and calls it the Blut Vene Anhaben ("Outer Shell Blut Vene"), a defensive barrier that extends outside of the body.
Given the nature of this technique, I suspect that only the highest level of reishi manipulation would allow a Quincy to use the Blut Vene Anhaben since it is usually contained within the body. Since Yhwach is the "Father of the Quincy", it makes sense only he would have access to such a technique.
But Ichibei has his own tricks up his sleeves, and reveals a new sub-section of Kidou - "Ura Hadou - San no Do - Teppusatsu" (Hidden Kido - The Third Path - Iron Wind Strike"). This manifests through a karate chop motion by Ichibei and the manifestation of a dragon's head which appears to literally blow away the Anhaben with a blast of air, allowing Ichibei to bypass the barrier and grab Yhwach's throat.
Since the Teppusatsu seems to have been formed in a way similar to Senri Tsuutenshou, I suspect that the latter technique is also a Hidden Kidou, given Ichibei forms the hand out of reishi and uses it with a martial arts-style hand movement. While he could be the only one to know this technique, I would suspect that these Hidden Kidou are also known to the Grand Kido Chiefs of the Kido Corps. Either way, using this Kidou against Yhwach once again shows Ichibei's prowess in battle.
The Punchline Is Machismo
But simply making physical contact with Yhwach is shown to be dangerous in itself when Blut Vene Anhaben is active, as the Blut begins to extend along Ichibei's left side of his body, and Yhwach explains that the Blut Vene Anhaben corrodes anything that comes into contact with his body to expand its coverage, and boasts about how he is going to take Ichibei's left side.
But Ichibei has none of that, as he either exerts his reiatsu or flexes his body to force the Blut Vene Anhaben back into Yhwach's body, causing a spray of blood to erupt from Yhwach's face and neck.
And yes, I did refer to the web comic "Manly Guys Doing Manly Things" when I made this section title, because people would definitely consider forcing out an intrusive entity by flexing your body to be pure manliness.
Blackened By the Straight Line
I have just noticed now, but it seems every front of resistance Yhwach has displayed in this battle just makes Ichibei more and more angry, because he has now violated the body of one of the Zero Division members, "the family of the Soul King", and that he should keep his "Human-like insolence within its bounds" as he twirls around his paintbrush.
If you want to know why I say these lines and the reason for them, follow the link for more information. PlasmaWolf is very good at translating the raw.
But to give the short-form version, Ichibei is scolding Yhwach for his lack of manners and respect, and the "family" aspect is "kenzoku", a term with Buddhist connotations that refers to one who pledges an oath to follow a Buddha. The "Royal Family" mentioned by Matsumoto in 223 is written and spoken as "ouke" in Japanese. In other words, the Zero Division can be seen as "those who pledge an oath to follow the Soul King".
The chapter ends with Ichibei proclaiming he will punish Yhwach, and calls out "Black, Ichimonji", revealing his Zanpakuto with a black line forming in the air behind the blade.
Bleach Chapter 608 - Darkness From The Blackest of Black
The Brush and the Sword
The chapter opens in an unexpected setting. We are outside of the Seireitei in a forest nearby. Deer are drinking from a river and there is a black salamander in the water, whose tail suddenly starts to emit something black. While strange, the event does have relevance to the chapter, as we go back up to the Seireitei with Ichibei having released Ichimonji. From what I can see, it seems that the black line was in fact generated by Ichibei's blade.
Yhwach comments on how the blade transformed from the paintbrush, and makes a curious statement: despite the thickness of the blade, he can sense no reiatsu coming off of it. As we know, the size of a Zanpakuto's blade in some cases correlates with the amount of spiritual power a person possesses, so Yhwach might have been commenting on how he can sense no reiatsu from the blade despite its size.
However, his eyes seem to start playing tricks on him as the blade suddenly changes back into a brush, and then back into a sword, with Ichibei mockingly asking him if it is getting hard to distinguish the two. This follows up with the two clashing again as Kubo pulls some clever artistry with the title and number of the chapter being in Japanese instead of the usual English, and depicts the chapter title as if it was splattered onto the sky from the battleground, and we see an ink ring above where Yhwach and Ichibei are fighting.
According to Mangastream, the "Blackness" term which is associated with "Darkness" apparently refers to the evil connotations of the colour "Black". The fact it is an ink splatter shows right off the bat that the writing motif of the paintbrush sticks around with Ichimonji.
A Blotted Out Name
As the two clash, Yhwach tries to figure out what Ichibei's blade is. He cannot slice through it despite it splattering ink everywhere, and he inquires if it is the same blade that sliced his "Name" in half before. However, he remains confident that he can take it on, since he showed himself able to restore his "Power" and "Name" against the paintbrush's power. He seems prepared to use his Spirit Weapon - the implication he was going to call out its name - but something is terribly.
Once again with a mocking demeanour, Ichibei enquires to what Yhwach was going to say. He states he believes that Yhwach was about to state his sword's name, and asks whether or not he know the fact that blade has no name. Ichibei then clarifies Ichimonji's power - anything blotted out by its ink loses its "Name", thus losing its "Power". He blotted out the name of the sword, and he blotted out Yhwach's Quincy Cross as well, and asks with a terrifying countenance if Yhwach still thinks he can kill Ichibei.
Yhwach's sword having a name can mean two things: 1) Either it is a named weapon, like Uryu's Kujaku and Ginrei Kujaku, or 2) He was about to reveal a Zanpakuto, as a number of people have speculated. Regardless, we will not know its name right now because it has been "blotted out", and as a result Yhwach cannot call out its name.
In the context of Bleach, Ichibei possesses a most terrifying power. "Names" have power in Bleach, and Ichibei can remove the "Name" from anything Ichimonji blots out with its ink. Making it even more terrifying is how he could also do it to someone as powerful as Yhwach, meaning virtually no one is safe from his power in the series.
The Light Altar of the Cross
However, Yhwach is not done yet, as he intends to steal Ichibei's power using the power of his own body, and summons the Sankt Altar, five points of reishi that surround Ichibei and strike him.
I would assume that the Sankt Altar is another one of the Kirchenlied - given it shares a title with the Zwinger - but I am starting to wonder if this technique is not simply exclusive to Yhwach. The fact that stealing Ichibei's power fits along the lines of Yhwach's power as a whole seems to indicate that much. It is either that or this is another high-level technique that only a Quincy at Bach's level could perform.
If it is, then this is a very potent spell, if it is able to take the power of the enemy and make it the Quincy's own. Yet this is apparently below the Sankt Zwinger that Yhwach!Royd tried against Yamamoto.
But we do not see how it turns out because Ichibei simply dispels it in a splatter of black.
The Master of the Black
Yhwach's legitimately shocked by this, and wonders if he failed to take Ichibei's power. Ichibei replies that his power was stolen, but that Yhwach simply could not make the power his.
This is when the scene with the salamander is made clear - Ichibei's power is "blackness". Until a better translation appears, it is hard to figure out what Ichibei means. According to Ichibei, once Ichimonji is released, all the "blackness" of the world, be it from Quincy, Shinigami, the living or the dead, is his. As he said "all the blackness in the world is mine", the chapter end with Ichibei's face once again takes on a demonic countenance and he blots out Yhwach's body with Ichimonji.
Throughout this entire fight, Ichibei has been depicted as being some kind of demon. What Ichimonji's power have been revealed to be is just the clincher - any it "blackens" loses it name, and all the "blackness" in the Universe is its source of power. In a sense, it is an abstract power dictated by the existence of "blackness" in the world. That is the reason why Yhwach cannot sense any reiatsu from Ichimonji - its power is not Ichibei's reiatsu, but the abstract existence of "blackness". As long as anything with "blackness" exists in the world, Ichimonji will have power.
It is why he cannot take Ichibei's power for his own. It is terrifying, to tell the truth - it does not seem to be an ability dictated by "Power" or "Reiatsu", but it seems like an ability dictated by "Reason/Nature" like the Koutotsu. Yhwach could take the "Power" or "Reiatsu" from anyone else, but Ichimonji's source of power being "Blackness" means it cannot be taken - it is "Absolute", and nothing that uses "Reiatsu" can interfere with it.
The only thing I could possibly think of that could resist or override Ichimonji is a Transcendent Being, which throws doubts onto Yhwach being one unless he is not yet drawing on that aspect of his power.
That's now terrifying the power of Ichimonji is - it is making me doubt my belief that Yhwach could be a Transcendent Being.
Can Ichibei even be called a "Shinigami" at this point?
Bleach 606 - Divine Division
The Trouble-Making King
The chapter picks up where we left off in the previous one with Ichibei lamenting Yhwach's behaviour. He goes on about how Yhwach refuses to behave despite being told not to call Ichibei's name and being sent flying by Senri Tsuutenshou to repent for his actions. Ichibei then mentions that, despite having gotten older, Yhwach is still a "trouble-making brat", and he states that now he has no choice but to kill Yhwach as they prepare to clash.
While this statement could disprove some theories I had in my mind, the fact that Ichibei calls Yhwach a "trouble-making brat" means that Ichibei is far older than Yhwach. This makes sense because Ichibei is one of the founding fathers of Soul Society, and it also presents a possible interpretation as to what relationship Yhwach initially had with the Shinigami before the war of 1000 years ago.
After all, Yhwach must have had a relationship with Yamamoto and the older Shinigami before the war of 1000 years ago if he is on such familiar terms with them.
Gathering of the Exiles
We cut back down to the Seireitei as a figure is running with a large package over their heads calling to Nee-sama. This will be addressed later, because this section of the chapter heralds the return of characters we haven't seen for a long time.
We see Urahara drawing a line outside of the area where the 12th Division's lab is, and Hiyori and the other Visoreds make their entrance into the Seireitei. While Urahara and Hiyori begin trading banter, Hiyori then asks why he sent Yoruichi and Ichigo on ahead, because the original plan was for them to meet up and all go together. While Urahara defends his actions by saying the situation changed (Yhwach going up to the Royal Realm immediately after Ichigo's arrival) and Hiyori accuses Urahara of not caring whether or not Ichigo and Yoruichi die so long as they slow down Yhwach.
This brings up a wide range of interesting implications. For starter, it implies there may be another method of reaching the Royal Realm that Urahara has up his sleeve but did not use before. The one thing I could think of is the two Forbidden Kido spells that Tessai used in "Turn Back the Pendulum", since their being able to take one up to the Royal Realm could be reason why their use is forbidden.
But Hiyori's accusation of Urahara not caring if Yoruichi and Ichigo die has the more troubling implications. While Hiyori could very well be wrong, it does cast Urahara's actions into doubt.
Before Urahara can form an answer, our mystery figure shows up.
Warden of the Divine Armaments
We quickly learn that this is Yuushiro Shihouin, the younger brother of Yoruichi and the 23rd Head of the Shihouin Clan, and that he was bringing what I assume are the "Divine Armaments" to Yoruichi to help her. When he realizes Yoruichi already left, he starts crying as Urahara assures him that the items he brought would help Yoruichi a lot, and that it was for the sake of the Seireitei that he sent Yoruichi ahead.
NOTE: Someone on tumblr broke down that Yushiro is a boy by looking at the Kanji of the name "Yuushirou", and the "rou" in the name means "son".
While some people may think this came out of nowhere, it was established back in the Soul Society arc that the Shihouin Clan was still active, since Soi Fon indicated that the Shihouin Clan would have fallen in a manner similar to the Shiba if it was learnt she was collaborating with the Ryoka. The fact that the Clan did not fall after its last head vanished indicates that there needed to be someone to replace Yoruichi as the Head of the Clan. As this chapter shows, that burden apparently fell to Yuushirou.
To continue on, Urahara invites everyone into the 12th Division, Hiyori recalls that she really hates it when Urahara says things are "for the good of the Seireitei", which is a line that Mayuri said a while back as well. While Mayuri would probably vivisect anyone who said so, he's more like Urahara than he likes to think, since both of them both morally ambiguous things "for the good of the Seireitei".
Inter-Script: For the past two and a half chapters, the focus has been solely on the fight between Ichibei and Yhwach. I didn't do last week's review because I had initially thought to wait out the entire fight before I give my thoughts on the chapter. But considering the events of this chapter, I decided to get caught up.
Half the Name It Used To Have
We cut back up to the fight between Ichibei and Yhwach, with brush clashing against blade as the Quincy King comments on how Ichibei's demeanour has changed, bringing up how Ichibei seems remarkably happy and that the decision to kill Yhwach turned Ichibei's expressions rather ghastly. It is curious that Yhwach brings this up, as if he has not seen this side of Ichibei before, despite the two apparently knowing each other in the past.
The two continue exchanging blows and Yhwach blocks the paintbrush with his left hand, asking if their current clash is all that Ichibei has got.
As it turns out, it was a mistake on Yhwach's part, because Ichibei reveals that his brush "cuts" through the "Name" instead of flesh, which causes Yhwach's arms to drop as they are weakened from having their name cut in half. The Japanese name for "Arm" is made up of two Kanji, which taken separately are "U" and "De", meaning the name of Yhwach's "Arm" was cut in half to "U".
Because of this, the strength and capabilities of Yhwach's arm have now been reduced by half, making it difficult to even swing his sword. As he says this, he proceeds to "cut" Yhwach's "Body", reducing its power by half and sends Yhwach flying back to the Vestibule Road with one powerful strike of his brush.
Demon Monk
Having struck "Yhw" such a blow, he then mockingly asks "Yhw" how it feels to be smashed to pieces by the Shinigami Leader he despises with only half his strength, to which "Yhw" dauntlessly replies by asking if he looks like he is suffering, as he prepares a technique.
NOTE: I say "Yhw" because two translations have Ichibei referring to Yhwach as such, having just cut Yhwach's power in half.
Throughout this entire chapter, we can see clearly the change in demeanour that Yhwach was talking about. His appearance in a number of scenes seem straight up demonic compared to the jovial personality he seemed to have before, as if the battle is bringing out a much darker side of the leader of Squad Zero. It is also quite the turn around to see Yhwach struggling against Ichibei in such a manner, since he was unstoppable against anyone else he thought, and his power is beyond the capabilities of normal individuals.
Chapter 607 - The Master
To Myself I Give All Things, For Myself I Take Away All Things
Continuing from where we left off, Yhwach then explains that there is no better feeling than what he is feeling right now, since he sees his predicament as the Leader of Squad Zero, the individuals who watch over the Shinigami, as fearing his power to the extent that he has to cut it in half. But he calls it a shame, because he reveals that he can just restore any power that he has lost back to himself, and he takes the reishi runes and does just that.
When I originally commented in the chapter thread, I had assumed that the power was the Kirchenlied, but it is in fact the same power he used to restore his "Voice" in 605. It is an ability like this that makes me think Yhwach is a Transcendent Being by nature, because he is basically a superior, Humanoid Hogyoku at this point. He can bestow Schrifts to Quincy to draw out their latent power, his soul fragments can cause "wounds" impossible for one soul to heal to finally mend, and he also showed he can use Auswahlen to distribute "Power" to Quincy he deems essential by taking it from those deemed unnecessary.
Now he is doing this with himself again, restoring all the abilities of his "Arm" and "Body" that Ichibei had reduced by half before. This actually surprises Ichibei, and Yhwach informs him that no one can simply take something from him even if they had abilities like Ichibei's, and he states his belief that everything in the world exists for his taking. This statement really gives strong insight into Yhwach as an individual, and ties in with his power to bestow a part of his soul unto others and to absorb their souls upon their deaths. It could show why he feels no emotion when using Auswahlen on the Quincy - he feels their power exists for his to take, which is backed up by Robert stating that the Stern Ritter's reason for existence is to live for and to die for Yhwach.
For the Sake of Preserving Dignity
Having restored his power back to himself, Yhwach then directs the columns of reishi against Ichibei, who claps his hands togethers and stops the stream of reishi cold, describing Yhwach as someone who takes people's kindness for granted. He explains that he chose to only take away "half" of Yhwach's abilities because it would forever tarnish the Quincy's reputation if he had crushed Yhwach at full power, but states that his reputation isn't worth anything if he's dead anyway, and prepares the Hyappo Rankan to fire at Yhwach.
While it seems like Ichibei is taking it easy against Yhwach, it really shows how confident Ichibei is in his ability to take down Yhwach, and he seems undaunted by Yhwach's ability. But his "kindness" is more of a mocking one than anything else, since he was smiling with glee when talking about how the Quincy's reputation would be tarnished if he killed Yhwach at full power.
Pinnacle Of Their Races
As the Hyappo Rankan is cast, black grid-like constructs extend out of Yhwach's arm and form a barrier around him, and Hyappo Rankan completely fails to get through. Ichibei exclaims that it is the Blut Vene, but Yhwach corrects him and calls it the Blut Vene Anhaben ("Outer Shell Blut Vene"), a defensive barrier that extends outside of the body.
Given the nature of this technique, I suspect that only the highest level of reishi manipulation would allow a Quincy to use the Blut Vene Anhaben since it is usually contained within the body. Since Yhwach is the "Father of the Quincy", it makes sense only he would have access to such a technique.
But Ichibei has his own tricks up his sleeves, and reveals a new sub-section of Kidou - "Ura Hadou - San no Do - Teppusatsu" (Hidden Kido - The Third Path - Iron Wind Strike"). This manifests through a karate chop motion by Ichibei and the manifestation of a dragon's head which appears to literally blow away the Anhaben with a blast of air, allowing Ichibei to bypass the barrier and grab Yhwach's throat.
Since the Teppusatsu seems to have been formed in a way similar to Senri Tsuutenshou, I suspect that the latter technique is also a Hidden Kidou, given Ichibei forms the hand out of reishi and uses it with a martial arts-style hand movement. While he could be the only one to know this technique, I would suspect that these Hidden Kidou are also known to the Grand Kido Chiefs of the Kido Corps. Either way, using this Kidou against Yhwach once again shows Ichibei's prowess in battle.
The Punchline Is Machismo
But simply making physical contact with Yhwach is shown to be dangerous in itself when Blut Vene Anhaben is active, as the Blut begins to extend along Ichibei's left side of his body, and Yhwach explains that the Blut Vene Anhaben corrodes anything that comes into contact with his body to expand its coverage, and boasts about how he is going to take Ichibei's left side.
But Ichibei has none of that, as he either exerts his reiatsu or flexes his body to force the Blut Vene Anhaben back into Yhwach's body, causing a spray of blood to erupt from Yhwach's face and neck.
And yes, I did refer to the web comic "Manly Guys Doing Manly Things" when I made this section title, because people would definitely consider forcing out an intrusive entity by flexing your body to be pure manliness.
Blackened By the Straight Line
I have just noticed now, but it seems every front of resistance Yhwach has displayed in this battle just makes Ichibei more and more angry, because he has now violated the body of one of the Zero Division members, "the family of the Soul King", and that he should keep his "Human-like insolence within its bounds" as he twirls around his paintbrush.
If you want to know why I say these lines and the reason for them, follow the link for more information. PlasmaWolf is very good at translating the raw.
But to give the short-form version, Ichibei is scolding Yhwach for his lack of manners and respect, and the "family" aspect is "kenzoku", a term with Buddhist connotations that refers to one who pledges an oath to follow a Buddha. The "Royal Family" mentioned by Matsumoto in 223 is written and spoken as "ouke" in Japanese. In other words, the Zero Division can be seen as "those who pledge an oath to follow the Soul King".
The chapter ends with Ichibei proclaiming he will punish Yhwach, and calls out "Black, Ichimonji", revealing his Zanpakuto with a black line forming in the air behind the blade.
Bleach Chapter 608 - Darkness From The Blackest of Black
The Brush and the Sword
The chapter opens in an unexpected setting. We are outside of the Seireitei in a forest nearby. Deer are drinking from a river and there is a black salamander in the water, whose tail suddenly starts to emit something black. While strange, the event does have relevance to the chapter, as we go back up to the Seireitei with Ichibei having released Ichimonji. From what I can see, it seems that the black line was in fact generated by Ichibei's blade.
Yhwach comments on how the blade transformed from the paintbrush, and makes a curious statement: despite the thickness of the blade, he can sense no reiatsu coming off of it. As we know, the size of a Zanpakuto's blade in some cases correlates with the amount of spiritual power a person possesses, so Yhwach might have been commenting on how he can sense no reiatsu from the blade despite its size.
However, his eyes seem to start playing tricks on him as the blade suddenly changes back into a brush, and then back into a sword, with Ichibei mockingly asking him if it is getting hard to distinguish the two. This follows up with the two clashing again as Kubo pulls some clever artistry with the title and number of the chapter being in Japanese instead of the usual English, and depicts the chapter title as if it was splattered onto the sky from the battleground, and we see an ink ring above where Yhwach and Ichibei are fighting.
According to Mangastream, the "Blackness" term which is associated with "Darkness" apparently refers to the evil connotations of the colour "Black". The fact it is an ink splatter shows right off the bat that the writing motif of the paintbrush sticks around with Ichimonji.
A Blotted Out Name
As the two clash, Yhwach tries to figure out what Ichibei's blade is. He cannot slice through it despite it splattering ink everywhere, and he inquires if it is the same blade that sliced his "Name" in half before. However, he remains confident that he can take it on, since he showed himself able to restore his "Power" and "Name" against the paintbrush's power. He seems prepared to use his Spirit Weapon - the implication he was going to call out its name - but something is terribly.
Once again with a mocking demeanour, Ichibei enquires to what Yhwach was going to say. He states he believes that Yhwach was about to state his sword's name, and asks whether or not he know the fact that blade has no name. Ichibei then clarifies Ichimonji's power - anything blotted out by its ink loses its "Name", thus losing its "Power". He blotted out the name of the sword, and he blotted out Yhwach's Quincy Cross as well, and asks with a terrifying countenance if Yhwach still thinks he can kill Ichibei.
Yhwach's sword having a name can mean two things: 1) Either it is a named weapon, like Uryu's Kujaku and Ginrei Kujaku, or 2) He was about to reveal a Zanpakuto, as a number of people have speculated. Regardless, we will not know its name right now because it has been "blotted out", and as a result Yhwach cannot call out its name.
In the context of Bleach, Ichibei possesses a most terrifying power. "Names" have power in Bleach, and Ichibei can remove the "Name" from anything Ichimonji blots out with its ink. Making it even more terrifying is how he could also do it to someone as powerful as Yhwach, meaning virtually no one is safe from his power in the series.
The Light Altar of the Cross
However, Yhwach is not done yet, as he intends to steal Ichibei's power using the power of his own body, and summons the Sankt Altar, five points of reishi that surround Ichibei and strike him.
I would assume that the Sankt Altar is another one of the Kirchenlied - given it shares a title with the Zwinger - but I am starting to wonder if this technique is not simply exclusive to Yhwach. The fact that stealing Ichibei's power fits along the lines of Yhwach's power as a whole seems to indicate that much. It is either that or this is another high-level technique that only a Quincy at Bach's level could perform.
If it is, then this is a very potent spell, if it is able to take the power of the enemy and make it the Quincy's own. Yet this is apparently below the Sankt Zwinger that Yhwach!Royd tried against Yamamoto.
But we do not see how it turns out because Ichibei simply dispels it in a splatter of black.
The Master of the Black
Yhwach's legitimately shocked by this, and wonders if he failed to take Ichibei's power. Ichibei replies that his power was stolen, but that Yhwach simply could not make the power his.
This is when the scene with the salamander is made clear - Ichibei's power is "blackness". Until a better translation appears, it is hard to figure out what Ichibei means. According to Ichibei, once Ichimonji is released, all the "blackness" of the world, be it from Quincy, Shinigami, the living or the dead, is his. As he said "all the blackness in the world is mine", the chapter end with Ichibei's face once again takes on a demonic countenance and he blots out Yhwach's body with Ichimonji.
Throughout this entire fight, Ichibei has been depicted as being some kind of demon. What Ichimonji's power have been revealed to be is just the clincher - any it "blackens" loses it name, and all the "blackness" in the Universe is its source of power. In a sense, it is an abstract power dictated by the existence of "blackness" in the world. That is the reason why Yhwach cannot sense any reiatsu from Ichimonji - its power is not Ichibei's reiatsu, but the abstract existence of "blackness". As long as anything with "blackness" exists in the world, Ichimonji will have power.
It is why he cannot take Ichibei's power for his own. It is terrifying, to tell the truth - it does not seem to be an ability dictated by "Power" or "Reiatsu", but it seems like an ability dictated by "Reason/Nature" like the Koutotsu. Yhwach could take the "Power" or "Reiatsu" from anyone else, but Ichimonji's source of power being "Blackness" means it cannot be taken - it is "Absolute", and nothing that uses "Reiatsu" can interfere with it.
The only thing I could possibly think of that could resist or override Ichimonji is a Transcendent Being, which throws doubts onto Yhwach being one unless he is not yet drawing on that aspect of his power.
That's now terrifying the power of Ichimonji is - it is making me doubt my belief that Yhwach could be a Transcendent Being.
Can Ichibei even be called a "Shinigami" at this point?
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