The Current State of Karakura Town (Part Three)

When the pale white Hollow Mask completely covered Tosen Kaname's face, and when the eerie fluctuations mixed with the Shinigami's spiritual pressure and Hollow aura spread outwards like ripples, the atmosphere of the entire battlefield froze.

Sajin Komamura stared intently at his close friend, with whom he had fought side-by-side for centuries. His chest heaved violently, his breathing became heavy and erratic, and his knuckles turned white from gripping the sword too tightly. On his hairy face, anger, shock, heartache, and confusion... countless emotions intertwined, finally culminating in an almost the Roar:

"Tōsen!!" His voice, like a muffled thunderclap, rolled across the battlefield, causing the surrounding rubble to tremble slightly. "I never imagined you would... stoop so low!!"

The word "degradation," when uttered by him, carried a heart-wrenching heaviness. It was the pain of witnessing a close friend fall into the abyss, the sorrow of witnessing the collapse of faith, and the hatred of wielding a knife against someone who had once stood shoulder to shoulder with him.

"That's... that's Hollowfication?!"

Shūhei Hisagi Shūhei beside Sajin Komamura, his young face etched with disbelief. His pupils trembled slightly, and his voice held an undisguised fear and confusion. "Captain Tōsen! You... how could you..."

His gaze was fixed on the pale mask on Kaname Tōsen's face, on the face that was once so familiar, faintly visible behind the mask, his mind a complete mess.

Kaname Tōsen stood there quietly, letting their gazes pierce him like sharp blades. His voice, coming from beneath his mask, was somewhat muffled, yet remained as steady as ever, revealing no fluctuation of emotion. "That's right."

Those two simple words struck Shūhei Hisagi's Shūhei like a heavy hammer.

"Why?!" Shūhei Hisagi Shūhei almost without thinking, his voice filled with incomprehensible confusion and grief, "Why did you do this?! You are the Captain of the Ninth Division! You are my mentor, my guide! You clearly have enough strength, why did you pursue this... this..."

He couldn't continue.

Because he couldn't bring himself to say the word "degenerate".

Kaname Tōsen remained motionless. He simply stood there quietly, his pale mask reflecting a cold light in the sunlight.

Then, he disappeared.

It's not Shunpo, not Sonído, but pure movement that's so fast it surpasses the limits of visual perception!

Shūhei Hisagi 'Shūhei pupils suddenly contracted! He didn't even have time to react, not even time to raise his Zanpakuto—

A cold, sharp blade flashed before him!

Pfft--!

The sharp blade slashed down in front of Shūhei Hisagi Shūhei. He didn't even feel the pain before blood splattered all over his body. Then, like a kite with a broken string, he fell helplessly from the sky.

"Shūhei Hisagi--!"

Sajin Komamura's roar shook the heavens!

He watched helplessly as his former subordinate, the young Soul Reaper he had watched grow up, was mercilessly cut down by Captain Tōsen, who had once taught and guided him!

That single strike severed not only Shūhei Hisagi 'Shūhei body, but also the last shred of hesitation and hope in Sajin Komamura's heart!

"Dong--Xian--!"

Sajin Komamura roared, his massive body Zanpakuto raised high! Without the slightest hesitation or reservation, he slashed down with his sword!

At the same time, his Zanpakuto release command rang out, "Tenken--!"

Boom--!

A gigantic, massive blade, large enough to match Sajin Komamura's enormous physique, appeared out of thin air above his head! The blade was entirely black, with faint red light patterns swirling around it; its mere appearance caused the surrounding air to freeze!

The giant blade followed Sajin Komamura's movements, bringing with it the force to split mountains and shatter rocks, and slashed down fiercely towards Kaname Tōsen's head!

This strike was delivered without reservation!

This strike was an expression of rage!

However, Kaname Tōsen simply raised the Suzumushi in his hand and casually held it up.

Clang--!

A deafening clang of metal clashing echoed across the entire battlefield!

That gigantic blade phantom, powerful enough to cleave a small mountain in two, was actually steadily blocked by Kaname Tōsen one hand! Compared to the enormous blade of Tenken, Suzumushi's seemingly slender blade was like a toothpick against a giant tree—yet it held firm, completely unmoved!

Sajin Komamura's pupils suddenly contracted!

He could clearly sense the power emanating from Kaname Tōsen's sword—it was no longer simply the Soul Reaper Powers, but rather mixed with a more violent, primal, and dangerous aura! It was the power of the Hollow!

Kaname Tōsen raised his head, his eyes, seemingly able to see through everything, meeting Sajin Komamura's gaze. He didn't speak, but a strange, slightly contemptuous smile appeared on his lips.

Then, he moved.

He jerked his knife-wielding arm upwards, easily deflecting the giant blade of Tenken! Simultaneously, his body spun in mid-air, his right leg whipping out like a whip—

Bang--!

That kick landed Sajin Komamura's waist!

Sajin Komamura sent flying like a head-on collision with a speeding train by this kick! He tumbled through the air, his enormous body smashing through a dilapidated building and carving a deep trench in the ground before finally coming to a stop!

He lay amidst the ruins, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath. The armor on his waist, where he had been kicked, was shattered, revealing charred fur and faint traces of blood seeping out.

He looked up at the figure silently suspended in the air, his heart churning with turbulent emotions.

[What... is this power?!]

Why is it so powerful?!

Is this really... the power that the owner is after?!

Kaname Tōsen looked down at him, his pale mask reflecting a cold light in the sunlight. His voice came from beneath the mask, still steady, yet carrying an indescribable, almost truthful calmness. "This is really strange..."

He tilted his head slightly, a hint of confusion in his voice. "That half- Soul Reaper boy you consider a comrade... Ichigo Kurosaki... should also possess the ability to Hollowfication. You should know this better than anyone else."

He paused, his voice becoming even calmer. "And I have obtained this power, do you... really need to despise me like this?"

Sajin Komamura struggled to his feet from the ruins, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He raised his head, his eyes fixed on Kaname Tōsen, burning with a mixture of anger and grief. "He, Ichigo Kurosaki, didn't want to Hollowfication!"

His voice was hoarse and deep, yet every word was like a hammer blow. "But you're different! Tōsen!"

He took a step forward, crushing the pebbles beneath his feet. "You are Soul Reaper! You are the Captain of the Ninth Division! You clearly possess enough strength, yet you still... strayed from the right path!"

His voice grew louder and louder, until it was almost the Roar: "What you've done is called depravity... Tōsen...!!"

Kaname Tōsen listened quietly, his expression hidden behind a mask, making it impossible to discern his emotions. He simply spoke, his voice still steady. "Is that what you call depravity?"

He slightly raised the Suzumushi in his hand, the blade reflecting a cold light in the sunlight. "Approaching the void from the Soul Reaper... why is that considered a fall?"

His voice carried a hint of nonchalance, as if he were instructing an ignorant child. "That's what you said based on a shortsighted dichotomy that separates Soul Reaper and Hollows into good and evil."

Sajin Komamura's breath hitched.

Kaname Tōsen continued, his voice growing more ethereal, as if expounding some higher truth. "Right and wrong, good and evil, light and darkness... these are merely boundaries you yourselves have drawn. On a higher level, before true power, these boundaries are meaningless."

Sajin Komamura stared intently at him, his anger burning even more fiercely instead of subsiding. He took a sudden step forward and roared, "You're wrong!!"

His voice shook the surrounding gravel, sending it tumbling down. "Betraying comrades! Betraying friends! Even betraying subordinates... all for the sake of gaining extraordinary power... that's called depravity!!"

These words were like a sharp blade, piercing straight into Kaname Tōsen's heart.

However, Kaname Tōsen still did not react.

He simply floated there silently, like an emotionless sculpture.

Just then--

A slender, chain-like Zanpakuto silently attacked from behind Kaname Tōsen!

The chain on the blade coiled around Kaname Tōsen's neck like a serpent, tightening its grip! Then, a tremendous force emanated from the blade, violently flinging Kaname Tōsen towards the dilapidated rooftop!

Bang--!

Kaname Tōsen's body crashed through the concrete roof, sending debris flying and dust billowing everywhere.

Shūhei Hisagi Shūhei closely behind, landing on the edge of the rooftop. His face was frighteningly pale, and the wound on his body was still bleeding, but he gritted his teeth and stared intently at the figure slowly standing up in the dust.

He pressed one hand against Kaname Tōsen's neck, pinning him to the broken floorboards, while his other hand gripped the Kazeshini Blade, its tip pointed directly at Kaname Tōsen's throat!

His voice was hoarse and sorrowful. "Captain Tōsen..."

As the smoke and dust slowly dissipated, Kaname Tōsen's face, still covered by a pale mask, was revealed. He looked at Shūhei Hisagi Shūhei, who was so close to him, and his eyes, hidden behind the mask, seemed to flicker slightly.

"That last cut..." His voice remained steady, yet carried a barely perceptible, almost self-deprecating tone, "Wasn't it deep enough? It seems I was too naive."

Shūhei Hisagi Shūhei his head. His eyes were slightly red, and his voice trembled slightly. "No... I reflexively took half a step back to avoid it."

He paused, his grip on Kazeshini's hand trembling slightly from the force. "When I draw my sword, I always assume a stance that allows me to dodge with just half a step— Captain Tōsen, that's what you taught me."

Scenes from the past flashed through his mind—

That was the scene when he had just become Seated Officer, Kaname Tōsen personally guide his cultivation.

"When Shūhei, don't just think about attacking." Back then, Kaname Tōsen's eyes were closed, his voice gentle and steady. "Leave yourself half a step of space. This half step is your retreat, your lifeline, the only leeway you can rely on when facing any unexpected situation."

"But Captain Tōsen, wouldn't leaving half a step undefended weaken the attack's power?" the young Shūhei Hisagi Shūhei, puzzled.

Kaname Tōsen shook his head slightly. "Shūhei, you must remember—the most valuable quality of a warrior is not how many enemies he can kill, but that he can come back alive under any circumstances. This half-step is your 'survival'."

Shūhei Hisagi Shūhei at Kaname Tōsen, who wore Hollow Mask and exuded an unfamiliar aura, his voice hoarse and barely audible. "You taught me so much... so much... but what about yourself? What are you afraid of now?! What are you... pursuing?!"

Kaname Tōsen listened quietly, his expression hidden behind the mask.

Then, he moved.

His movements were so fast it was unbelievable. Shūhei Hisagi Shūhei n't even see how he made his move, only feeling a sharp pain in his abdomen!

The blade of the Suzumushi sword had already pierced through his abdomen!

"You--!"

Shūhei Hisagi's Shūhei widened, and blood gushed from his mouth.

Kaname Tōsen drew his sword, letting his body fall from the rooftop and crash into the ruins below.

Then, he lowered his head, facing the direction where Shūhei Hisagi Shūhei fallen, his voice low and calm, as if talking to himself. "I'm scared..."

He paused, his pale mask seeming to gleam with an eerie, melancholic light in the sunlight. "For a hundred years now, I have been terrified that I will perish alongside you, the Soul Reapers."

His voice was soft, so soft it seemed it might be carried away by the wind at any moment. "I pursue power, not for killing, not for conquest, but simply... to be free from fear."

He raised his head, and the eyes beneath the mask seemed to pierce through layers of ruins, gazing towards a distant direction, a past that could never be returned to.

Just then--

A deep, authoritative voice echoed from afar, "Bankai, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō"

Boom--!

Behind Sajin Komamura's massive body, an even larger, towering phantom of a Myōō slowly emerged!

The Ming King was entirely crimson, clad in armor, wielding a giant sword, with a ferocious face and eyes burning with furious flames! It stood atop the ruins like a moving mountain, and its mere appearance caused the air on the entire battlefield to freeze!

Sajin Komamura stood before the Myō-ō, maintaining perfect synchronization with it. He raised his head, his eyes burning with rage, fixed on Kaname Tōsen in the air.

"Dong--Xian--!"

He roared and swung his arm down violently!

At the same time, the enormous Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō behind him also swung down his giant sword, powerful enough to split the heavens and the earth!

The giant sword tore through the air, carrying a world-destroying force, and slashed down fiercely towards Kaname Tōsen's head!

The moment the giant sword slashed down, Kaname Tōsen casually raised the Suzumushi in his hand, raising it to parry—

Clang--!

Another deafening clang of metal on metal!

But this time, the massive Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō's greatsword actually stopped before Suzumushi's slender blade!

Unable to make an inch of progress!

With Kaname Tōsen parried the giant sword powerful enough to cleave mountains, without even swaying his body.

He looked down at the shocked Sajin Komamura, his voice coming from beneath his mask, carrying a faint, calm tone, as if stating a fact. "How foolish, Komamura."

He paused, his eyes, hidden behind the mask, seeming to pierce through layers of void, Sajin Komamura's gaze. "Even though you've witnessed my power firsthand, do you still think you can defeat me with just Bankai?"

His voice contained no mockery, no contempt, only a sigh of pity, as if he were looking at a stubborn child.