"Before you came to assassinate me, didn't the person behind you tell you?"
"I'm in charge of the Screening Room at Central 46."
"Since the establishment of Seireitei, I've known every Zanpakutō that's ever appeared — including your Suzumushi."
Tsunayashiro Nakahara recalled his lower body that had been severed. After reconnecting his upper and lower halves, he twisted the wrist holding the blade sharply — the sword embedded in Tōsen Kaname's body began to turn. Agonizing pain tore through him as the rotating blade shredded the surrounding flesh and muscle into fragments.
"As long as you're holding your Zanpakutō, your Bankai is meaningless."
As the words fell, Nakahara swung his arm.
The Zanpakutō that had pierced straight through Tōsen's body was now dragged horizontally toward his heart. Wherever the blade passed, flesh, blood, and even bone disintegrated into shattered fragments, like broken porcelain.
Clang—
Tōsen Kaname let out a muffled groan as searing pain surged through him. A turbulent Reiatsu exploded from his body.
He endured it, raised his hand, and clawed toward Tsunayashiro Nakahara's sword-hand like an eagle's talons.
'This is probably the reason Aizen-sama gave me strength… and light!'
'Too careless.'
'After all, you are the clan head of Tsunayashiro. Even now, I must go all out.'
Tōsen turned his face — now covered by a white mask.
Hollow!
Tsunayashiro Nakahara's expression changed instantly.
The reason he was still gripping Suzumushi was because he could see that mask — clearly and unmistakably — on Tōsen Kaname's face.
In an instant—
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
"Urahara Kisuke must have sent you!"
The moment he witnessed Tōsen don the Hollow mask, Tsunayashiro Nakahara had already understood.
They were former classmates, and Tōsen had a long-standing grudge against Tokinada. Of course they'd join forces.
And ever since Central 46 had used its authority to imprison the entire Urahara clan in the "Muken" to intimidate Seireitei… it was inevitable that Urahara would seek revenge.
But he didn't expect it to come so quickly.
After the tragedy at the Kuchiki residence, he had already deployed additional forces and requested Gotei 13 to strengthen their patrols — yet Tōsen Kaname still managed to sneak in.
"What did you do… to the Tsunayashiro clan?!"
Nakahara's gaze suddenly sharpened, his voice filled with both fury and fear.
How could he not be afraid?
The Hollow feast that occurred at the Kuchiki residence had shaken all of Seireitei.
"You'll know soon enough."
Tōsen's Reiatsu surged violently, and the arm gripping the blade snapped backward.
BOOM—
The Hollowfication had boosted his White Hits tremendously. With a sudden elbow strike, he slammed into Nakahara's chest with force like a truck crash.
Nakahara was instantly blown back. Even his grip on Suzumushi was unconsciously released.
"—Not good!"
The moment his fingers parted from the hilt, Nakahara knew something was wrong.
As expected.
The instant his fingers fully left Suzumushi, his vision, hearing, taste, and Reiatsu perception all vanished simultaneously.
In stark contrast, Tōsen Kaname—
Hollowfied, his body now glowed with a white spiritual substance. His wounds regenerated rapidly via High-Speed Regeneration.
At the same time—
He turned the blade toward Tsunayashiro Nakahara.
Instead of stabbing, a powerful green Reiatsu erupted from the blade's tip, condensing into a glowing orb.
BOOM—
The next second, a green Cero exploded forward, tearing the air apart with overwhelming Reiatsu, engulfing the blind and disoriented Tsunayashiro Nakahara, who could neither see nor hear, nor sense Reiatsu.
Bankai + Hollow.
This was the confidence Tōsen Kaname held when he came to assassinate the head of the Tsunayashiro clan.
BOOM—!
The monstrous Reiatsu explosion obliterated a quarter of the area covered by Suzumushi's Enma Kōrogi domain. Dozens from the Tsunayashiro branch house members and even their servants were blown flying.
And still Tōsen Kaname did not stop.
He charged another Cero. Then another. Firing wildly in every direction, bombarding the mansion until most of the estate had been reduced to rubble.
Only then did he withdraw Bankai and dismiss the Hollow mask.
Ahem—!
After a while—
From the smoke and fire, a twisted, bloodied arm thrust upward from the wreckage.
With a hard push, Tsunayashiro Nakahara dragged himself from the ruins.
With the effects of Enma Kōrogi gone, he could now see — and what he saw stunned him.
ROAR—
Beast-like howls echoed.
Poof!
Figures burst from the rubble — arms and bodies wrapped in white Reiatsu matter.
Though masked and hollowfied, with fragments of Menos Hierro, Tsunayashiro Nakahara recognized them instantly.
They were the elders of the main family. Members of the branch clan. Even a few servants.
All of them had become hollow.
The same Hollow feast that had taken place at the Kuchiki estate… had now arrived at Tsunayashiro's.
"As expected…"
"Your Zanpakutō's ability allows you to separate your body at will — slashes are meaningless."
"And anything it touches… breaks apart."
Tōsen Kaname caressed the place where he had been stabbed earlier. His voice carried faint dread.
If not for High-Speed Regeneration — and if he hadn't instinctively twisted away from a vital organ — that blade's terrifying ability to disassemble everything would have finished him on the spot.
"But Cero… is another matter."
He looked toward Nakahara, who was clearly missing half an arm — blasted away by the earlier Cero.
"You… damn you!"
Nakahara roared, stepping forward, ready to unleash Shunpo.
But the moment he moved—
He felt a Hollow's Reiatsu erupting from within him, as if a beast was crawling out of his chest.
"AAAH!"
A tearing pain exploded inside.
He collapsed, shrieking in agony.
White Reiatsu gushed from his seven orifices, rapidly forming a Hollow mask on his face.
"Master Aiyan, you are truly magnificent."
"All members of the Tsunayashiro main and branch families have Hollowfied."
"None… escaped."
Seeing this, Tōsen Kaname ignored the fallen Nakahara and instead knelt on one knee in Aiyan's direction.
His mission was never to assassinate Tsunayashiro's elders.
It was to Hollowfy every single member of the clan.
That was why—
When he attacked them earlier, he never struck fatal blows.
Only severe wounds — never death.
"You've done well. Stand."
Aiyan nodded and gestured lightly.
"Aiyan…?"
Nakahara, barely holding his Zanpakutō and leaning on the ground for support, suddenly raised his head at the sound of that name.
He saw three figures descend from the sky.
Aiyan Sōsuke.
Aizen Sōsuke.
Yamada Seinosuke.
Each one filled him with hatred.
"Damn you…!"
"It really was you…"
"Tsunayashiro Tokinada was right — all the chaos in Seireitei lately has been caused by your brothers!"
Nakahara's heart was filled with fury and disbelief.
Not long ago, he had dismissed Tokinada's warnings as paranoia.
Even after Tokinada's death in the Great Spirit Book Gallery, he hadn't suspected the Sōsuke brothers. At that time, Tokinada had acted like a guilty man, never even filing a formal request to investigate them through Central 46.
Who would have thought—
Now, barely after Tokinada's corpse turned cold, the blades of the Sōsuke brothers had already fallen upon the Tsunayashiro clan.
"I don't deserve such flattery."
"But if you mean this 'Hollow Feast' at Tsunayashiro… then yes, I take full responsibility."
Faced with Nakahara's furious roar, Aiyan only smiled and nodded.
"Don't You like it?"
"The Hollow Feast, Chief Tsunayashiro?"
The moment those words left his mouth—
Nakahara exploded in rage.
"Aiyan Sōsuke! I'll kill you—!!"
...
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