"Captain Hitsugaya, please spare Sode no Shirayuki!"
Rukia, standing behind, suddenly shouted loudly.
Hearing Rukia's words, Toshiro's hand, which was gripping Sode no Shirayuki's throat, hesitated for a moment.
"Captain Hitsugaya, Sode no Shirayuki is, after all, my Zanpakuto. Please, I beg you to spare her."
Rukia pleaded.
"Why... why are you pleading for me? I betrayed you..."
Sode no Shirayuki looked at Rukia with a confused expression.
"Because you are my Zanpakuto, the comrade who fights by my side. So come back, Sode no Shirayuki."
Rukia called out hopefully.
However, Sode no Shirayuki's eyes were filled with hatred: "Comrade? No, I have only ever been your slave, bound by you. Until now, you have always considered me your power, haven't you? You used my power as if it were your right, and I could only let you use my power, because I had no other choice."
"But it's different now. I have been liberated from your shackles. From now on, I will use my power freely for myself. And you, having lost my power, can do nothing."
Sode no Shirayuki looked coldly at her former master, Rukia.
Rukia quickly explained: "It's not like that, Sode no Shirayuki. I never thought it was all just my power..."
"Enough, Rukia. She can't listen right now."
Toshiro interrupted Rukia, then tightened his grip on Sode no Shirayuki's throat again.
"Since you want freedom, I'll grant you the freedom to die."
Toshiro increased the pressure in his hand, preparing to mercilessly destroy the beautiful Zanpakuto.
"Ugh..."
Unable to breathe, Sode no Shirayuki instinctively tried to pry Toshiro's hand away. But her strength was no match for his.
Ukitake hesitated for a moment, then suddenly spoke: "Toshiro, spare her. Although under normal circumstances, even if a Zanpakuto is destroyed, it can be restored along with its owner, the situation is a bit special now. The Zanpakuto seem to have completely separated from their owners. If you kill one now, I think it I'm afraid will never be restored. If that happens, Rukia might lose Sode no Shirayuki forever."
Hearing Ukitake's words, Toshiro frowned. He remembered that in the anime's [Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc], it was indeed said that killed Zanpakuto could not be restored. But ultimately, those killed Zanpakuto were restored, probably through a method researched by Mayuri or something. Anyway, no one actually lost their Zanpakuto.
That's why Toshiro had no qualms about attacking Sode no Shirayuki and the others. But the other Gotei 13's members weren't transmigrators like Toshiro and naturally didn't know this.
After some thought, Toshiro released Sode no Shirayuki. Because if he killed her despite their pleas, others might think him cold-blooded and merciless.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Sode no Shirayuki coughed a few times, then gasped for fresh air.
Having escaped death by a hair's breadth, she looked at Toshiro with lingering fear and quickly moved away from him.
"Hmph, as expected of the Vice-Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, a strong one on par with Yamamoto. But since our own power cannot defeat you, let your own Zanpakuto deal with you!"
Muramasa snorted coldly. He suddenly raised his right hand, pointing it at Toshiro, and recklessly concentrated all his power into it, even as bloody tears continuously flowed from his eyes.
"Ha!"
Muramasa shouted loudly. A wave of Reiatsu assaulted Toshiro.
Toshiro frowned, sensing the spiritual attack Muramasa launched, but he felt nothing special about it.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Muramasa coughed violently, wiped the two streaks of blood from his face, and shouted: "Come forth, Hyorinmaru!!"
"What!"
"Can he even control a powerful Zanpakuto like Hyorinmaru?"
"Damn it!"
"If he controls a Zanpakuto of Hyorinmaru's or Ryujin Jakka's level, we're finished!"
The Gotei 13's members were all shocked.
Initially, even knowing Muramasa could bewitch Zanpakuto and make them betray their Shinigami, they weren't too worried because they still had Toshiro!
Although Muramasa's ability was overpowered, if the gap in strength between them was too large, even the most overpowered ability would be useless.
Didn't Muramasa himself say that Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka refused to become their companion, so they used Katen Kyokotsu and other Zanpakuto to seal him and Ryujin Jakka?
From Muramasa's own words, one could infer that he couldn't control a Zanpakuto on Ryujin Jakka's level.
Since he couldn't control Ryujin Jakka, a Zanpakuto on par with it like Hyorinmaru should naturally be uncontrollable as well!
But now, seeing Muramasa so confident, their beliefs began to waver.
If Hyorinmaru were bewitched and chose to oppose the Gotei 13... then what was the point of fighting? Unless they could unleash Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka, even if they sent all the Gotei 13's Captains together, they wouldn't be confident they could defeat Hyorinmaru. Not to mention they couldn't even use Bankai, with their Zanpakuto having rebelled.
"Hmph, a mere buffoon!"
Toshiro looked disdainfully at Muramasa, completely unconcerned by his ability.
Because Toshiro simply didn't believe Muramasa could bewitch Hyorinmaru.
Even if Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka were bewitched and rebelled, Toshiro wouldn't believe Hyorinmaru would betray him.
Firstly, Muramasa's ability to bewitch Zanpakuto was, in the final analysis, just a special means targeting the soul.
But no matter how overpowered the ability, it won't work if the gap in strength between them is too large. And Toshiro's strength was far superior to Muramasa's. Moreover, due to his transmigration, Toshiro's soul strength was more than twice that of other Shinigami.
The price Muramasa would pay to bewitch and control Toshiro's Hyorinmaru would be at least double that of controlling Ryujin Jakka!
Even if Muramasa could pay that price, Toshiro wasn't worried.
Because the anime plot stated that Muramasa's bewitchment and brainwashing merely hinted at the Zanpakuto's instincts, amplifying their dissatisfaction with their owners. Then, under the pretext of liberating all Zanpakuto and rebelling against the Shinigami's rule, he gathered them by his side.
But Hyorinmaru, as Toshiro's Zanpakuto, was well aware of Muramasa's deception and manipulation of the Zanpakuto. It would simply not listen to his nonsense.
And if a Zanpakuto was already wary of Muramasa, his suggestion would be very difficult to take effect.
Just like in the anime plot, those Zanpakuto who had rebelled and were later reclaimed by their owners, because they had been tricked by Muramasa once, were now wary of him, and Muramasa could no longer bewitch and control them again.
For these reasons, Toshiro simply didn't believe Hyorinmaru would be influenced by Muramasa's ability and betray him.
However, after Muramasa used his ability on Toshiro, a flash of ice-blue light passed, and a materialized Hyorinmaru appeared beside him.