"I'll ask you once more. What exactly happened to Genryusai-sensei?"
Toshiro's tone was icy cold.
"Because Yamamoto's Zanpakuto, Ryujin Jakka, refused to become our companion, Yamamoto was sealed away along with his Zanpakuto."
Muramasa replied.
"Sealed? Impossible. How could someone of your level seal Old Man Yama?"
Kyoraku frowned.
Muramasa showed no sign of anger and continued to explain: "Well, you're not wrong. I didn't seal Yamamoto myself. I used the Reiatsu of your Zanpakuto, Katen Kyokotsu, Sogyo no Kotowari, and Minazuki, to seal him."
"Damn it!"
Ukitake cursed, both angrily and guiltily.
"Hmph, do you think we would believe such a thing?"
Toshiro snorted coldly.
"Believe it or not, it's the truth."
Muramasa's expression was unreadable.
However, Toshiro vaguely remembered that Yamamoto was indeed sealed, but not by Muramasa, nor by Katen Kyokotsu or the others. Yamamoto had sealed himself.
"Since you say Genryusai-sensei is sealed, then where is he sealed?"
Toshiro asked again.
"Heh, do you think I would tell you?"
Muramasa scoffed.
"Hmph, do you think we have no way to find out just because you won't tell?"
"Not much time has passed since Genryusai-sensei disappeared. That means he's very likely still within the Seireitei. So..."
"If I kill you, and mobilize the full power of the Gotei 13 to search, it won't take long to find him, will it?"
Toshiro said confidently.
Hearing Toshiro's words, Muramasa's expression darkened. But he still said forcefully: "Kill me? Forgive my bluntness, but you simply cannot do that."
"Heh, I'm being underestimated."
Toshiro's expression turned cold.
Whoosh!
Toshiro's figure flickered and instantly vanished from Muramasa's sight.
"What!"
Muramasa exclaimed in shock.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Toshiro reappeared before Muramasa and slashed his sword at him.
Muramasa quickly sidestepped to dodge.
Squelch!
Toshiro's Zanpakuto left a deep wound on Muramasa's body.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Injured, Muramasa coughed violently, and two streaks of bloody tears flowed from his eyes again. Not only that, his body suddenly became illusory and transparent. Although it returned to normal immediately, everyone present saw it. It was definitely not fake.
"Damn it! Everyone, attack together! Deal with Hitsugaya Toshiro!"
Muramasa shouted to the materialized Zanpakuto.
Hearing Muramasa's command, the materialized Zanpakuto surged forward, preparing to swarm Toshiro.
The first to charge were Komamura's Myo'o and Byakuya's Senbonzakura.
"Bankai!"
"Bankai!"
Myo'o and Senbonzakura knew Toshiro wasn't an easy opponent, so they activated Bankai right away.
Then Myo'o, transformed into the huge black-armored warrior, said nothing and directly delivered a powerful, heavy slash at Toshiro.
Toshiro didn't retreat, meeting the attack head-on with his sword.
Clang!
With a loud crash, Myo'o was directly pushed back.
But before Toshiro could disengage, a sky-full of pink cherry blossom petals suddenly attacked, forming a sphere that enveloped him.
Senbonzakura said delightedly: "Success!"
Boom!
Toshiro's powerful Reiatsu suddenly erupted, directly dispersing the sphere of countless petals.
Whoosh!
Toshiro sent Senbonzakura flying with a Kenatsu.
"Hikotsu Taiho!"
In the distance, Zabimaru also used its technique, firing a Hikotsu Taiho at Toshiro.
"Hmph!"
Toshiro snorted coldly, directly extending his left hand and grabbing the fiery red Hikotsu Taiho. Then, his bone-chilling cold instantly erupted, freezing Zabimaru's attack into a ball of ice.
"Ha!"
Toshiro shouted, forcefully hurling the frozen Hikotsu Taiho ball back at Zabimaru.
Bang!
Zabimaru, which after Bankai had transformed into a giant snake composed of snake-bone joints, was directly smashed apart by Toshiro's throw.
However, just then, Mayuri's Ashisogi Jizo, looking dull-witted like a demon baby, silently flew above Toshiro.
Whoosh—!
Ashisogi Jizo directly spewed a cloud of poison gas at Toshiro.
But...
Crack, crack...
The poison gas was frozen by the Reiatsu emanating from Toshiro before it could even approach him.
"Hmm?"
Toshiro looked up and glared coldly at Ashisogi Jizo.
"Jii... jii..."
Ashisogi Jizo let out a strange cry of fear and immediately flapped its small wings, fleeing into the distance.
Swish!
Just as Toshiro was about to strike at the fleeing Ashisogi Jizo, a figure the size of a palm, dressed like a small bee, seized the opportunity to dash in front of Toshiro and stabbed at him with the golden gauntlet on its right arm.
Reacting quickly, Toshiro immediately slashed his sword at it.
Whoosh!
The blade flashed. To Toshiro's surprise, the opponent very nimbly dodged his attack.
"Heh heh heh... You've never fought an enemy my size before, have you? Let me tell you, the smaller you are, the more agile you are in battle. It's also harder for the enemy to hit you."
The opponent hovered in mid-air, its small face full of smugness.
"You're Sui-Feng's Zanpakuto… Suzumebachi?"
Toshiro looked at the palm-sized enemy.
"Hmph, don't mention that frumpily dressed woman in front of me!"
Suzumebachi said with a cute snort.
"Let me defeat you, Hitsugaya Toshiro!"
Suzumebachi let out a delicate shout, then her tiny figure began to spin and dance around Toshiro.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Afterimages of Suzumebachi appeared all around Toshiro.
As Sui-Feng's Zanpakuto, Suzumebachi's speed was inherently not inferior to Sui-Feng's. Coupled with her palm-sized body, she was even more agile and swift.
"Here!"
Toshiro focused and suddenly shouted, his left hand quickly reaching out.
Bang!
Toshiro flicked Suzumebachi on her small head, sending her flying.
"Who else!"
Toshiro's cold eyes swept across Muramasa's side.
Aside from Ikkaku's Hozukimaru and Sasakibe's Gonryomaru, all the materialized Captain-level Zanpakuto present had been dealt with by Toshiro in a few moves. The rest were merely Lieutenant-level Zanpakuto.
Seeing Toshiro's icy gaze sweep over them, the remaining materialized Zanpakuto couldn't help but step back in fear. Realizing this, they became quite angry.
"First Dance, White Moon!"
A white circular ring of light suddenly appeared beneath Toshiro's feet. Then, a pillar of white Reiatsu light burst forth from within the ring of light.
Crack!
After the white Reiatsu light passed, a towering pillar of ice froze Toshiro inside.
However, no one believed this move could kill Toshiro.
Boom!
Sure enough, with a slight eruption of Toshiro's powerful Reiatsu, the towering white ice pillar shattered into pieces.
"Heh, I... was actually attacked with ice."
Toshiro laughed in extreme rage.
"Was it you who attacked me with ice just now?"
Toshiro's expression was icy cold, looking at his attacker as if she were already dead.
The attacker was a woman, as beautiful as a dream.
She had silver-white hair tinged with a faint purple, like crystal. Part of her hair at the back was tied up in a long ponytail that fell over her shoulder, with a single strand hanging over her forehead, clipped with a blue star-shaped hairpin.
She had ice-blue eyes and wore a white long-sleeved kimono with a pale yellow-green sash around her waist, and a large, light purple bow tied behind her back.
"'First Dance, White Moon'... Rukia's Sode no Shirayuki? As expected of the most beautiful Zanpakuto in the Soul Society. However, as an ice-type Zanpakuto, how dare you provoke the [Ice King]? Are you prepared to die?"
Toshiro looked down at Sode no Shirayuki like a god from the high heavens overlooking an insignificant ant.
Boom!
Toshiro's vast Reiatsu bore down on Sode no Shirayuki.
"..."
Sode no Shirayuki opened her mouth to say something, but the immense pressure rendered her speechless.
Moreover, Sode no Shirayuki could sense a strange power within Toshiro's Reiatsu, compelling her to submit involuntarily. She couldn't even muster a thought of resistance.
Like a commoner facing an exalted emperor, Sode no Shirayuki felt only fear and awe, unable to generate any thought of defiance.
Thud!
Unable to withstand the pressure, Sode no Shirayuki fell to her knees with a thud.
Toshiro walked up to her and grabbed her by the throat.
"An insignificant ant that dares to offend the 'King'. Die!"