Faced with such a determined Toshiro, even Hyorinmaru was moved.
"Give up, Toshiro. Even if you can stand again, what can you do with your battered body? You cannot defeat me..."
Hyorinmaru turned her head away, as if in disdain, or as if unable to bear seeing Toshiro's battered state.
"Is that so? Impossible to win? In that case, let's make a bet. If I win, you come back to me. If I lose, I'll let you leave and stop pestering you. How about that?"
Toshiro walked towards Hyorinmaru step by step, leaning on his sword.
"Boring."
Although she didn't think Toshiro could win, Hyorinmaru still rejected his proposal.
'As I thought... it seems we still must decide this by life or death...'
Toshiro stopped, closed his eyes, and concentrated, as if feeling for something.
'I remember in the anime plot, after the Zanpakuto rebelled, although Shinigami couldn't release them at first, later some Shinigami gradually managed to use Shikai. That included 'myself'...'
Toshiro used all his strength to feel the remnant power of Hyorinmaru within his body.
Although the Zanpakuto had separated from the Shinigami and become independent, a portion of its power still remained within the Shinigami's body. By mastering this remaining residual power, although Bankai couldn't be used, Shikai could still be utilized.
Hyorinmaru noticed Toshiro's actions and seemed to understand his intention. She was about to move to stop him when Toshiro suddenly opened his eyes.
"Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"
"Roar!"
A roar sounded. A frost dragon, dozens of units of length long, condensed from Toshiro's Reiatsu and the moisture in the atmosphere.
"Ryusenka!"
Toshiro shouted loudly, stamping his right foot hard on the ground. His body shot towards Hyorinmaru like an arrow. He thrust his sword straight ahead, the frost dragon spiraling around him.
At the critical moment, Hyorinmaru instantly created an ice wall in front of her.
Boom!
Under Toshiro's attack, the ice wall instantly shattered. Just as his sword tip was about to pierce Hyorinmaru, she twisted her body. However, even so, Toshiro's sword still touched her.
Whoosh!
Toshiro's figure passed by Hyorinmaru.
With a crack, Hyorinmaru's body was frozen in a cross-shaped block of ice.
Thud!
Toshiro landed.
"Puh!"
Toshiro suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
Ryusenka was Toshiro's close-combat technique, powerful. Relying on his frost wings to fly towards the enemy and thrust his sword, the moment the tip touched the enemy, they would be instantly frozen in a cross-shaped block of ice.
Toshiro remembered that in the anime plot, he had used this move to 'defeat' Hyorinmaru. So just now, he also tried to use it against her. Unexpectedly, without any difficulty, Toshiro easily used this move.
But this move was a Bankai technique. So, without frost wings, Toshiro could only rely on his explosive power, coupled with the power of the frost dragon, to forcibly use it.
However, although he forcibly used this technique in Shikai state, Toshiro inevitably suffered backlash. His already injured body was now even more severely wounded.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Toshiro coughed continuously, then turned to look at Hyorinmaru, frozen in the cross-shaped ice.
"It can't be that easy to defeat Hyorinmaru, right?"
Toshiro's expression was grave.
Although in the original anime plot, 'he' had used one move to 'defeat' Hyorinmaru, Toshiro didn't think he could defeat her so easily now.
First, Hyorinmaru was much stronger than in the original. Second, in the anime plot, 'he' couldn't really be said to have defeated Hyorinmaru.
Because in the Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc, Hyorinmaru had lost her memory and didn't believe that a child like Toshiro could be her master. Then Toshiro used Ryusenka to make her recall the past.
That's why it was said that Toshiro used Ryusenka to 'defeat' Hyorinmaru. But in fact, that wasn't the case at all.
Just as Toshiro thought this, a powerful fluctuation of Reiatsu emanated from the cross-shaped ice.
"Reiatsu of this intensity... Is Hyorinmaru going to use Bankai!"
Toshiro exclaimed in shock.
"Is that woman Hyorinmaru trying to destroy the Seireitei!"
Toshiro knew very well the immense impact Hyorinmaru using Bankai would have. Even if she did nothing afterwards, over time, the power emanating from her alone could gradually freeze the entire Seireitei.
"No, I'm worrying over nothing. Once Hyorinmaru uses Bankai, she could probably kill me instantly. Then she could cancel Bankai. This way, it wouldn't affect the Seireitei at all..."
A bitter smile appeared on Toshiro's face.
'Sure enough, it's too difficult for me to defeat Hyorinmaru in my current state... I wonder why in the Zanpakuto Rebellion Arc, those Shinigami who couldn't use their Zanpakuto's power were able to easily defeat the rebelling Zanpakuto...'
Toshiro complained in his heart.
Crack!
Cracks appeared on the cross-shaped ice. It seemed Hyorinmaru was about to break free.
'No matter what, I will not let Hyorinmaru leave. If that's the case, I really have no choice but to risk my life!'
Toshiro's expression was unprecedentedly serious.
Clang!
Toshiro thrust his Zanpakuto into the ground. Then his hands flew up and down like butterflies.
"Bakudo #99, Part 2. Bankin!"
"Bankai... Boom!"
Just as Hyorinmaru used Bankai, her powerful Reiatsu instantly shattered the cross-shaped ice, and she directly broke free.
"Prologue - Halting Wraps!"
Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh—!!
The moment Hyorinmaru broke free, huge strips of cloth instantly wrapped around her body.
"Refrain - Serial Hundred Bolts!"
Swish, swish, swish—!!
Dozens of iron rods flew towards Hyorinmaru, intersecting and inserting around her, rendering her unable to move.
"Finale - Fully Prohibited Great Seal!"
Whoosh—!
A huge stone tablet inscribed with the character of 'Swastika' fell from the sky, slamming towards Hyorinmaru with a howling wind.
Seeing this, Hyorinmaru quickly tried to break free to avoid the huge falling tablet. However...
"What!"
Hyorinmaru struggled hard and found that, for a moment, she couldn't break free.
Bakudo #99, although Toshiro could barely use it without incantation, he still needed to put down his Zanpakuto and form hand seals to execute it.
However, although Bakudo #99 was troublesome, its power was very powerful. Even Hyorinmaru couldn't break free immediately.
But Hyorinmaru still didn't panic. It seemed even Bakudo #99 couldn't threaten her.
"Tenso Jurin: Kuku!"
Hyorinmaru softly uttered a few words. Then, as wind and clouds surged in the sky, the huge falling tablet was covered in a thick layer of ice crystals. Its falling speed decreased significantly, and even seemed to stall.
[Tenso Jurin: Kuku] was a technique Toshiro had further developed based on 'Tensorin's' ability to dominate the sky. It could suppress and bind enemies in the air. Toshiro hadn't expected Hyorinmaru to use this move to counter his attack.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Having neutralized the threat of the huge tablet in the sky, Hyorinmaru erupted with Reiatsu. Bone-chilling cold permeated the air. The huge strips of cloth and iron rods binding her were instantly covered in a layer of ice crystals.
"Damn it..."
Seeing that Hyorinmaru was about to break free again, a look of determination flashed in Toshiro's eyes.
"Zero-Degree Blade!"