Marvel With Zanpakutou

Chapter 818: Slaying a God

Scabbard’s Slumber— that is its name.

But more precisely, this is a different name.

From the literal meaning of "Scabbard’s Slumber," it’s not hard to discern Nimaiya Ōetsu’s intent. All the sheaths in the world bow to it, much like worshippers kneeling before a god with reverence and fear.

Though Nimaiya Ōetsu called Scabbard’s Slumber his greatest failure, there’s an unmistakable air of boasting. Especially during his appearance in the original story, when he carried a massive tank of liquid on his back, calling people weaklings and effortlessly cutting down Sternritter members— his achievements were nothing short of spectacular, rivalling even Aizen in terms of swagger.

Despite Nimaiya Ōetsu’s eventual defeat, the sharpness of Scabbard’s Slumber was undeniable.

If the name alone doesn’t convey just how sharp it is, here’s a more straightforward way to understand.

When Lille Barro, leader of the Schutzstaffel, whose Schrift "X-Axis" allowed him to penetrate anything with an unavoidable attack, aimed his spiritual energy blast at Nimaiya Ōetsu, Scabbard’s Slumber cleaved the attack in two.

X-Axis is a power transcending physical reality, existing as a conceptual rule that cannot be blocked.

Having used X-Axis multiple times, Lorde understood just how terrifying it was. Once the target is set, everything in the path is pierced without exception, and nothing can block or defend against it.

Even one of the Seraphim, Randgriz, had been harmed by X-Axis to the extent that her essence was damaged.

This shows that Scabbard’s Slumber is no ordinary blade. It is far beyond the usual concept of sharpness.

When Lorde grasped the hilt of Scabbard’s Slumber, he could feel the blade’s thrill. Before him, everything seemed as fragile as paper. He could slice through anything that stood in his way with a simple swing.

Scabbard’s Slumber... was calling to him.

It trembled gently, like a child overjoyed to finally find its master, emitting a resonant, ethereal hum.

Unlike other Zanpakuto Lorde had wielded, the spirit within Scabbard’s Slumber seemed innocent, like a pure child. There were no complex thoughts or emotions—only one single-minded purpose: to cut down anything that dared obstruct it.

This purity of purpose gave it an unparalleled, almost indomitable sharpness.

Thanks to Scabbard’s Slumber’s purity, Lorde’s transformation didn’t consume his mind. Instead, he retained complete control of his consciousness, akin to the Vizard controlling their inner Hollow.

This... felt amazing!

Black spiritual pressure burned around him, boiling the air with its intensity.

Under the influence of Hollowfication, what should have been holy, angelic wings had transformed into the dark, corrupted wings of a fallen angel.

As Lorde gazed at his dark wings, he couldn’t help but wonder—if Michael saw him like this, would the Archangel claw his face in fury?

"Even now, you still struggle?!" Tower of the Ancient God roared, snapping Lorde out of his trance.

"You... are truly annoying."

Lorde’s blood-red eyes gleamed fiercely behind the eerie, bone-like mask. Tired of the god’s endless speeches, his rage boiled over, sending waves of dark spiritual pressure rippling through the sky like the sea in a storm.

When his words fell, the heavens trembled like an earthquake, unleashing a deafening shockwave that swept across thousands of miles of the sky!

The Tower of the Ancient God’s pupils contracted as the god’s divine light dimmed. In that instant, Lorde’s fiery, crimson eyes appeared before him, burning with killing intent.

"If you have so much to say, why don’t I cut you down first!"

With murderous intent thick in the air, Lorde swung Scabbard’s Slumber upward in a simple, unadorned slash, cleaving the space silently in its path.

"You think your blade can touch a god?!"

The Tower of the Ancient God manipulated space instantly, folding it over millions of times. "I was merely holding back before—now you will witness the true power of the ’One Who Unifies All Things’!"

Layer upon layer of dazzling, multi-dimensional crystalline walls materialised.

These crystalline barriers defied normal physical reality, appearing as a strange, indescribable form that encompassed multiple dimensions. What looked like a mere arm’s reach away was, in fact, impossibly distant—an insurmountable chasm separating worlds, a barrier no mortal should cross.

"And so what?" Lorde’s voice, filled with disdain, rang out as he pressed forward. His upward slash smoothly transitioned into a downward strike.

Still, there was no unique technique behind his strike—just an ordinary slash from a simple sword that eschewed any fancy flourishes.

Clang!

Like a dragon’s song, the blade emitted a low, evident hum.

What happened next shocked the Tower of the Ancient God. Lorde’s ordinary strike easily sliced through the crystalline barriers as if passing through nothing at all. The countless folds of space crumbled at the mere touch of the blade as if the walls were made of air.

Yes... effortless.

That was the only word that could describe it.

The Tower of the Ancient God realized this was not mere spatial manipulation being overcome. It was that space itself had been cut, as if slicing through butter with a hot knife. The blade passed through without resistance, leaving no trace of its passage.

Slash!

With the barriers cleaved in two, the blade’s momentum continued downward, carving through half of the Tower of the Ancient God’s head.

Even after cutting through the god’s head, Scabbard’s Slumber did not stop. A massive arc of energy flew thousands of meters into the distance before finally dissipating.

Half the sky had been split by that single strike, the enormous dark rift extending for miles.

Clang.

Lorde flicked his blade to shake off the blood, turning with a billowing of his black coat.

Tower of the Ancient God collapsed, blood flooding the ground like a raging river. Though not completely dead, the god could no longer rise, gazing at Lorde with a look of strange pity in his eyes.

"Lorde, you will regret this."

"Entering the Ultimate Abyss would have been the best outcome for you."

"You’ve chosen this path, but when we meet again, I hope you won’t regret today’s decision."

With those words, Tower of the Ancient God’s massive form disintegrated like a ghost, vanishing into the air.

"For now, at least, I have no regrets," Lorde thought to himself, turning his gaze toward the singularity.

Though the Tower of the Ancient God was dead, the singularity he had created remained. If anything, it had grown by absorbing even more of the planet’s matter.

"I know you’re there..."

Lorde whispered, "I’ve found the blade meant to hold you. Will you show yourself now?"