Twin Hyōrinmaru

Two days passed quietly, and everything seemed to be back on track. The Soul Society did not pursue Toshiro, and the other Bleach continued their training or handled their team affairs.

Rangiku was the only one who hadn't returned to daily training. With Toshiro absent, some tasks that had to be reported to the captain had to be handled by her.

Rangiku lay listlessly on her desk. Although she didn't have much actual work to do after being reassigned to a lower-level position, she still had to stay at the team's quarters. After all, she wasn't the team leader anymore, and she had to report anything she couldn't handle immediately.

"Captain, when are you coming back?" Rangiku groaned. Compared to being stuck in the barracks, she would rather train, since training was more motivating for her.

Rangiku's call seemed to have an effect. Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly felt a powerful and terrifying spiritual pressure envelop the entire Seireitei. Within this spiritual pressure, she could even sense the spiritual pressure of her unscrupulous captain.

"10th Division! Everyone who can move, follow up, support the captain!"

Rangiku slammed her hand on the table and stood up, her voice echoing throughout the entire barracks. In just a moment, she transformed from a lazy cat into a valiant female warrior.

Rangiku's orders were subconscious; she could tell almost without thinking that their captain was definitely entangled with the enemy. As a member of Toshiro's team, Rangiku had brought along all the Bleach with combat capabilities.

The site of the former Sogyoku Hill, or rather, the original Sogyoku Hill Sogyoku Hill, has been completely destroyed by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and Tsuna, leaving it a barren plaza. There are no plans to renovate it yet.

Right there, Toshiro was confronting Kusaka. He had originally found Kusaka in an underground space in the World of the Living. After talking for a short while, Toshiro decisively drew his blade at his former friend.

Not long after the two began their battle, Kusaka took out the King's Seal King's Seal and used its power to perform the Great Transfer Technique, bringing Toshiro with him to the ruins of the Sōkyoku Soul Society.

"Do you see that? Toshiro, this is the power of the King's Seal!" Kusaka's face was contorted with madness. He held a sword in one hand and the King's Seal in the other, as if embracing the entire world. "With it, the world is within our grasp!"

Kusaka's expression changed, staring at Toshiro with eyes that seemed to devour Toshiro. "What are you waiting for? Soul Society has abandoned you. They haven't even bothered to look for you these past few days. You traitor to Soul Society!"

Kusaka crossed his arms, embracing himself with a look of ecstasy, "Join me, let's share the world together!"

Toshiro didn't reply. He just stared at Kusaka's performance, his eyes filled with suspicion. This Sojiro Kusaka was too unfamiliar to him.

From the moment Toshiro first met Kusaka, he became suspicious. However, Kusaka was able to tell him about their shared training with Zanpakuto, and even tried to use this time to win over Toshiro's feelings.

Therefore, Toshiro chose to draw his sword, his subconscious telling him that only a sword could perceive the true nature of the Kusaka.

Unfortunately, they had only exchanged two blows when Kusaka used the power of the King's Seal to take him to Soul Society, seemingly to demonstrate the great power of the King's Seal to him.

"Toshiro, what are you still hesitating about? Wouldn't it be better if we ruled the world together?" Kusaka clutched his chest, seemingly heartbroken by Toshiro's hesitation.

Toshiro slowly raised his Zanpakuto. His lips moved slightly, and the cold words he spoke made Kusaka's face turn equally cold.

"Seated atop the frosty sky, Hyōrinmaru!"

This was Toshiro's answer; a chill emanated from Hyōrinmaru, and an ice dragon coiled around him.

Kusaka's face was terribly gloomy. He hadn't expected that after talking for so long, he wouldn't get even a single response. His expression broke down, and he shouted in a somewhat defensive manner.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya! You think you're the only one who possesses Hyōrinmaru? Seated atop the Frosty Sky, Hyōrinmaru!"

The moment the purple ice dragon appeared, Toshiro had already attacked with his ice-blue dragon. The two ice dragons clashed, and Hyōrinmaru also engaged in a passionate battle as the two wielded their weapons.

But it was clear that Kusaka was no match for Toshiro. Whether it was the ice dragon in the air or the most basic swordsmanship, he was completely outmatched by Toshiro.

Amidst the swirling ice crystals, Kusaka retreated step by step, and the purple ice dragon above his head gradually showed signs of weakness. After a violent ice explosion, Kusaka completely lost its advantage.

The Kusaka that Toshiro had slashed off fell to one knee, his long, disheveled hair revealing a pleading face. "Toshiro, why? Why can't you let me go?"

At this moment, more and more Bleach appeared around them. Even Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto personally led a team to watch over Toshiro and Kusaka. No one disturbed Toshiro, as they all understood that Toshiro wanted to handle this matter himself.

Tsuna looked around with some boredom. The miserable state of Kusaka had already lost its appeal to him. Instead, it was the presence of the Bleach that made him realize that something was amiss.

Neither Shunsui Kyōraku nor Jūshirō Ukitake were present.

Tsuna moved to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's side. "Where are your two apprentices?"

"The fish in the metal bucket started struggling, let's go check it out."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's meaning was simple: the Tsunayashiro Clan was gradually becoming an impenetrable fortress. Tsuna originally thought that Tokinada Tsunayashiro Tokitoshi intended to control everyone in Tsunayashiro, and he even planned to have Kusaka cause some trouble.

The reason why Tokinada Tsunayashiro chose to act now is probably to take advantage of the time when Soul Society is invaded by the Kusaka, in order to get the Tsunayashiro Clan out of the sight of the Gotei 13 as much as possible.

Kyōraku had also considered this point. Upon receiving the notification from the spies guarding the Tsunayashiro Clan, he immediately abandoned his plan to come to Toshiro's place to watch the show and even took Ukitake with him on the way.

With Kyōraku and Ukitake around, there's no need to worry about the Tsunayashiro Clan, and Tsuna can finally watch Toshiro's big show unfold.

Faced with Kusaka's questioning, Toshiro's face showed disgust. "How dare you speak to me like that? Bankai!"

With the power of Daiguren Hyōrinmaru fully unleashed, Toshiro had already confirmed one thing from the recent sword clash: his blade no longer needed to hold back against the man before him.

"Are you insane? Toshiro Hitsugaya! I am Sojiro Kusaka! Don't you have any idea who trained with you with your Zanpakuto and who gave you the right to use Hyōrinmaru?" Kusaka roared furiously.

Faced with Kusaka's question, Toshiro walked towards him step by step, his Zanpakuto already covered with a layer of frost.

"Why don't you continue? My past with Kusaka isn't just about training with Zanpakuto. Why don't you tell us about the moments when we met, became friends, and grew up?"

"Or do you not know, Hyōrinmaru!"

As soon as Toshiro uttered those words, a violent surge of cold air erupted. If Toshiro was not satisfied with Kusaka's answer, his blade would show no mercy.

Kusaka's expression froze, as if someone had forcibly stopped him by grabbing his neck. After a while, a wicked smile, just like Agul's, curled up at the corner of his mouth, and he slowly spoke.

When did you find out?

"From the very beginning, when you attacked the King's Seal Transport Team, I knew you weren't Sojiro. Until just now, your sword told me that not a single move in it was from the academy's traditional swordsmanship."

"How could Sojiro Kusaka, who lacks combat experience, not have any academic background at all? There's only one reason: you're not Sojiro Kusaka," Toshiro said calmly, revealing his speculation.

"As expected of the person I chose, his talent far surpasses Kusaka's. This piece of Bankai can't even use Bankai!" Kusaka angrily berated himself, then stared at Toshiro and asked, "So, what do you intend to do with me?"

"I'll kill you to avenge Sojiro!" Toshiro replied seamlessly.

"Hahahaha!" Kusaka laughed maniacally, his eyes turning vicious. "Me? I'm Hyōrinmaru! Can swords be ruthless? Shouldn't you be the one who should be ruthless the most? Toshiro Hitsugaya!"

"That's right. It was my lack of ability back then that caused a portion of Hyōrinmaru's power to flow into Sojiro's body. After killing you, I will personally apologize on Sojiro's behalf."

Toshiro recalled the information he had found in the Central 46: the reason why Soul Society does not allow two Zanpakuto to coexist is because the two swords must always be united as one; this is the Zanpakuto's instinct to devour its other half.

As the strength of both wielders gradually increases, if one of them succumbs to the temptation of the Zanpakuto, they will be Zanpakuto by its power and do things that endanger the Soul Society.

Therefore, the Central 46 simply nipped the idea of having the same pair of swords in the bud, and while the wielders were still weak, they competed to determine the sole owner of the Zanpakuto, thus avoiding a future crisis for Soul Society.

"What a joke! You're the one who defeated Kusaka, and you're still pretending!" Kusaka rebuked Toshiro's words.

"Back then, I was ready to surrender and lay down my sword. Can you tell me why Sojiro's sword-wielding motion suddenly stopped? Why did he charge at my sword?"

"It's you, isn't it? Hyōrinmaru, who was on Kusaka's body. Back then, you seized control of Kusaka's body. You wanted to be the only one who survived, but you couldn't overcome Kusaka's will. He deliberately charged into my sword."

Toshiro's tone was full of sorrow. After realizing that this Sojiro Kusaka was not the Sojiro he knew, and combining the information he had found, Toshiro repeatedly reviewed the events in his mind and finally determined that Hyōrinmaru inside Kusaka's body was the murderer who killed Kusaka.

"Stupid! Incompetent! Useless!" Kusaka kept cursing. He was cursing Sojiro Kusaka, who had once competed with Toshiro. If he had been more assertive, it wouldn't have been the Hyōrinmaru that Toshiro had left in Soul Society.

"Are these your last words?" Toshiro Zanpakuto high and said coldly, "Enjoy your funeral!"

Snowflakes fall from the dark clouds, each one blooming into a palm-sized flower upon contact with the ground. When a hundred ice flowers cover the enemy, the tombstone formed by the ice flowers takes shape, and the enemy's life will come to an end.

The Hyōten Hyakkasō, Toshiro Hitsugaya's ultimate technique, had enraged him completely.

(PS: The storyline for the other Hyōrinmaru was slightly altered. Whether it's Toshiro or his friend Sojiro Kusaka, I want to leave the impression that they both care for and want the best for each other.)