Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto vs. Royd Lloyd

 is a battle taking place during the Quincy Blood War between Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and Sternritter "Y" Royd Lloyd, initially believed to be the Emperor of the Wandenreich, Yhwach.

Prelude
Having incinerated Driscoll Berci as vengeance for the latter killing Chōjirō Sasakibe and stealing his Bankai, Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto notes that he has finally given Chōjirō a proper sendoff and bids him farewell. Approaching a stunned 9th Division Lieutenant Shūhei Hisagi, Yamamoto promises that he will kill every last member of the Wandenreich himself and bursts into the air in a scorching trail of flame.

With Yamamoto hurtling across the Seireitei like a comet, the other captains and lieutenants are alarmed and impressed by his rage, with his Reiatsu reverberating across the entire Seireitei and revitalizing the Shinigami who were near defeat. Shortly afterward, Royd Lloyd, having copied the appearance and memories of Yhwach, holds an unconscious 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki aloft by the throat, identifies him as a Special War Power, and questions if this is the best he can do prior to assuming that he has overestimated the Shinigami and telling Kenpachi to go to sleep.

Suddenly, Yamamoto slams into the ground behind Royd and notes that it has been a thousand years since they last met before proclaiming that he has come to annihilate Yhwach, leading Royd to grin at this. After Yamamoto rescues Kenpachi from Royd's grasp with Shunpo and reiterates that he has come to annihilate the latter, Äs Nödt, Bazz-B, and NaNaNa Najahkoop drop down from above Yamamoto to attack him, with NaNaNa mocking Yamamoto for facing their leader alone, Äs stating that this is the end, and Bazz-B telling Yamamoto to die. However, they are quickly engulfed in a massive explosion of fire from Yamamoto's Shikai, Ryūjin Jakka, and fall unconscious to the ground while Royd admonishes them as deserving this for interfering in his battle.

Battle
In response, Yamamoto simply cracks his neck and right shoulder, and when Royd observes that he seems to want to say something, Yamamoto attacks Royd with a slash of his sword, cutting through the latter's left forearm and causing Jugram Haschwalth to call out to him in concern. Noting that Yhwach has not changed at all in the last thousand years, Yamamoto promises that his habit of undervaluing his subordinates will end here, though Royd simply counters that Yamamoto's enraged state hearkens back to his younger years. Upon being rushed at by Yamamoto, Royd leans back, narrowly avoiding the latter's blade as it passes over his nose.

Kicking at Yamamoto, who is sent flying onto a nearby roof by the force of this upon blocking Royd's leg with his sword, and leaping after him, Royd drives his hand into the roof where Yamamoto was standing once the latter leaps back and rips several tiles out to throw at him, though Yamamoto merely repels them with flames and sends them hurtling back toward Royd, who holds his arms in front of his face to block them. When Yamamoto comes down on him with a spinning vertical slash that cuts through the entire building, Royd leaps out of the resulting dust cloud and finds Yamamoto standing next to him with his sword held ready to slash, forcing Royd to summon his Reishi Sword and cut through the flames when Yamamoto attacks him.

Upon hearing Yamamoto observe that he has finally drawn it, Royd notes that he sounds like he has been waiting for this, which prompts Yamamoto to confirm that he has because he intends to crush every aspect of Royd until nothing is left while the flames around him suddenly disappear, leaving Royd surprised as Yamamoto activates his Bankai, Zanka no Tachi. Haschwalth is incredulous at Yamamoto's Bankai being such a pitiful and burned-out blade, but Royd warns him to not underestimate it because Zanka no Tachi seals all the flames of Ryūjin Jakka within the blade and allows Yamamoto to end battles in a single strike by engulfing whatever he cuts in explosive flames.

With Royd concluding that it is a blade of hellfire, Yamamoto recalls Yhwach seeing this Bankai a thousand years ago, but questions if it is really the same as he remembers and invites Royd to find out. When Yamamoto rushes forward and slashes at him, a startled Royd evades backward, allowing the blade to cut through his cloak, and wonders why he is not engulfed in flames from this. Royd mentally asserts that Yamamoto's power is fire, even if his Bankai is different from a thousand years ago, and ponders where the flames are now if this is the case prior to Yamamoto slashing downward and inadvertently striking the ground with the tip of Zanka no Tachi, erasing a massive chunk of it and the building behind Royd, who realizes with astonishment that the flames are now in the tip of the blade.

Confirming this, Yamamoto attacks Royd once more, with the latter narrowly evading this, and holds up Zanka no Tachi as he identifies this ability as Zanka no Tachi, Higashi: Kyokujitsujin, which focuses all of his flames into the tip of his blade to erase everything it touches without a trace rather than emit heat or explosive flames. While moving to attack Royd once more, Yamamoto proclaims that not even Blut Vene can withstand this power even though it is the peak of defense for Quincy, but Royd counters that he merely needs to cut Yamamoto down without being touched by his blade and slashes at the latter with his Reishi Sword.

However, Royd is speechless to see Yamamoto unharmed and his own Reishi Sword having had most of its blade erased by this. Yamamoto recounts how Yhwach's army was massacred a thousand years ago before declaring that he will make them remember how they are merely a horde of corpses waiting to be burned as flames encircle his feet and enshroud his body, setting the nearby buildings alight. While Royd stares in astonishment at these flames, Yamamoto points out that there must also be a West if Zanka no Tachi has an East and identifies the flames covering his body as Zanka no Tachi, Nishi: Zanjitsu Gokui.

before explaining that these flames reach a heat of 15,000,000 degrees Celsius, preventing Royd from even touching him now, and noting that using his Bankai causes himself and his blade to be enveloped by the sun while the ground beneath his feet heats up and melts, which results in his feet beginning to sink into it. Haschwalth muses that such immense heat would not be visible as flames and assumes that the flames around him are an illusion, but quickly realizes that Yamamoto's Reiatsu is instead so powerful that it resembles flames when emitting from him, leaving him intimidated by Yamamoto's power.

Approaching Royd, Yamamoto states that he is going to end this battle now before Royd, himself, and all of Soul Society are destroyed by this power. Internally, Royd observes that it feels like his entire body is burning and that only his Blut Vene is preventing him from turning to ashes at this distance. Upon seeing Royd standing still, Yamamoto questions if he is just going to stand there and admits that this question was somewhat spiteful, since Royd's Reishi Sword is broken and he cannot attack Yamamoto, before claiming to not blame Royd for just standing there and assuring him that he can run away if he likes. However, Yamamoto vows to track Royd down and kill him regardless, which prompts Royd to form and fire a large Heilig Pfeil at him.

Once he deflects the Heilig Pfeil, which explodes next to him, Yamamoto acknowledges that all Royd has left are his arrows now that his Reishi Sword is broken and leaps into the air to attack Royd. Suddenly, Royd holds out his left hand, and when a bemused Yamamoto questions what this is supposed to be, Royd counters that the Quincy Cross and Heilig Pfeil are not the only weapons of the Quincy before activating Kirchenlied: Sankt Zwinger, creating several towering columns of Reishi bearing the Quincy Cross in a large area around himself, and declaring that this is the ultimate defensive spell of the Quincy that combines offense and defense to rend asunder any who enter with the light of God.

Despite this, Yamamoto reiterates that Royd cannot harm him and embeds Zanka no Tachi into the ground several meters away from Kirchenlied: Sankt Zwinger prior to promising the dead slain by his blade a moment of battle if they will aid him and activating Zanka no Tachi, Minami: Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin, which causes thousands of charred skeletons to crawl out of the ruptured earth around him. With the Reishi pillars around him collapsing from the skeletons' advance, an astonished Royd demands to know what this is, prompting Yamamoto to detail how Zanka no Tachi, Minami: Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin has heated the ashes of those he has slain so they can serve as his limbs and chase his targets until they turn to dust. In response, a scoffing Royd chastises Yamamoto for raising the dead as a Shinigami and claims that he does not deserve to be called one prior to leaping into the air and promising that something like this will not stop him.

However, when Royd crashes into a wall formed by dozens of skeletons rising in front of him to intercept his attack, Yamamoto observes that his mouth is working far better than his eyes are and instructs Royd to take a closer look at the skeletons around him, causing a shocked Royd to recognize the faces of Zeidritz, Hubert, and Argola as Yamamoto wonders if he is seeing the faces of the subordinates he mercilessly killed. Turning and walking away, Yamamoto assures Royd that he is not leaving and invites the latter to attack him once he has battled through his dead subordinates, causing Royd to curse at him.

Yamamoto questions if he is regretting not stealing his Bankai earlier, only to clarify that rather than decide not to steal Zanka no Tachi, Royd was unable to do so because the Wandenreich steals a Bankai by seeing and understanding its power, with them being cautious of Ichigo Kurosaki because he still has room to evolve due to his Bankai acquisition being fairly recent and Yamamoto himself not using his real power even a thousand years ago, which prevents Royd from stealing what he cannot comprehend. In response to Royd screaming wildly at this, Yamamoto notes that he had a shred of humanity left after all.

As Royd rushes through the encroaching horde of skeletons and reiterates that he cannot be stopped by something like this, Yamamoto counters that he can see Yhwach's tears. After ruminating on how painful it must be for Yhwach to crush his subordinates just to reach Yamamoto and how Royd must hate him for using a strategy as low as bringing his dead subordinates back to the battlefield, Yamamoto proclaims that none of it compares to the pain of the Shinigami that he has slaughtered today and performs Zanka no Tachi, Kita: Tenchi Kaijin, a blazing slash that obliterates Royd's left forearm and a large chunk of his torso, leaving him to fall on the ground as Yamamoto deactivates Zanka no Tachi.

Aftermath
While heavy rain begins to fall across the Seireitei, Yamamoto turns and begins walking away, but Royd merely admits that he was not strong enough and requests forgiveness from Yhwach. Yamamoto stops in his tracks upon hearing Royd apologizing and looks back in confusion as he internally questions who Royd could be apologizing to when Yhwach is the one who started this battle and who has ultimately lost it. With Royd apologizing to Yhwach for being unable to carry out his orders, Yamamoto frantically demands to know who he is just before the First Division barracks are engulfed and destroyed by a massive pillar of blue Reishi flames. As Yamamoto calls out to his 3rd Seat, Genshirō Okikiba, the real Yhwach appears behind him with Hirenkyaku, and as a startled Yamamoto curses him, Yhwach addresses Royd, who lies on the ground before him after ceasing his usage of The Yourself.

After Yhwach praises Royd's performance in convincing the Gotei 13 that he was Yhwach, a stunned Royd tearfully expresses gratitude for this praise, only for Yhwach to raise his hand, point his index finger at Royd, and obliterate the latter with a Heilig Pfeil, instantly killing him. With only Royd's severed legs remaining on the ground next to a smoking hole, Yamamoto questions what the former has been doing this whole time, only for Yhwach to counter by asking Yamamoto about what lies beneath the First Division barracks, which leads Yamamoto to realize that he has been in the Central Great Underground Prison prior to Yhwach revealing that he spoke to Sōsuke Aizen, leaving Yamamoto completely aghast.