As soon as the words left his mouth, the three Squad 9 members paled in unison, their hands flying to their sword hilts.
"What did you say?"
One of the members roared.
"How dare you be so disrespectful to Fifth Seat Tosen!"
"The Stealth Force shouldn't be this arrogant!"
Tosen Kaname raised a hand to stop his subordinates. His expression remained calm, yet the veins on the hand gripping his hilt were bulging slightly.
He was actually hesitating.
A direct confrontation with the Stealth Force was by no means a wise move.
Though he didn't fear Shihoin Yoruichi, Urahara Kisuke—currently within Squad 2—was someone Lord Aizen had specifically warned him to watch out for.
If today's incident escalated, it would inevitably draw unwanted attention from multiple parties.
Lord Aizen's experiments were progressing steadily; an unexpected disruption now would be highly inappropriate.
'Amamiya Shin, that damn waste of space. He couldn't even handle a few Stealth Force rats...'
If this man fell into the Stealth Force's hands, a thorough investigation would likely reveal his close ties to the disappearances of the Squad 10 members.
While Lord Aizen had backup plans to clean up any messes, settling the matter here would be the greatest service he could provide his master.
Tosen weighed his options.
If he used his Zanpakuto's ability to temporarily incapacitate the people in front of him, he might be able to take the prisoner by force.
It would be worth it, even if it meant making an enemy of the Stealth Force.
With that thought, Tosen took a deep breath, his voice suddenly hardening.
"Regardless of your mission, we have our own orders to apprehend a fugitive."
"Furthermore, this man is a deserter from Squad 9. His actions have far-reaching implications, and he should be taken into our custody for interrogation."
"We will report our findings to you immediately. Your investigation won't be considered a failure."
"Unless the Stealth Force has some other agenda?"
He took a step forward, his Spiritual Pressure beginning to radiate outward.
"Or perhaps the Stealth Force knows this man is connected to the nobility and intends to shield them? Is that why you're afraid to hand him over to Squad 9?"
"If this man were to die while in your custody and the trail went cold, who would bear the responsibility?"
These were heavy words, a blatant challenge.
Soi Fon's brow furrowed.
While Tosen's initial points held some merit, his sudden change in attitude was suspicious.
He was being uncharacteristically aggressive.
Normally, as an organization directly under Central 46, the Stealth Force held a special status that other squads respected.
Yet Tosen seemed hell-bent on taking the prisoner.
Could there be something scandalous about Amamiya Shin that tied back to Squad 9's dirty laundry?
While Soi Fon was lost in thought, Hasumi Ren had already started firing back.
He wasn't about to indulge Tosen.
"That's quite an accusation, Fifth Seat Tosen."
Ren's voice wasn't loud, but it dripped with mockery.
"Is there a written rule stating a prisoner captured by one squad must be handed over to another? Besides, first come, first served."
"We did the work. We caught him. What have you lot done this entire time? You didn't even provide a single useful lead."
"Now that it's over, you show up and expect to take him with a few words. Squad 9's job must be remarkably easy."
"Furthermore..."
Ren stopped in front of Tosen, his gaze piercing.
"As you said, this case involves the nobility and has broad implications. The Stealth Force, serving Central 46, is the perfect choice for such sensitive matters."
"We have just as much reason to suspect you. Are you involved with this man? Do you have some dark secret you're trying to hide by taking him so desperately?"
Tosen's expression finally shifted.
He hadn't expected a common Stealth Force member to be so sharp-tongued, every word hitting the mark.
Tosen remained silent for a moment, his face dark, before responding in a low voice.
"It seems we won't be convincing each other."
He slowly began to draw his Zanpakuto.
"We are both doing our duty. If you insist on taking him..."
A flash of steel later, the cold blade was pointed at Ren.
"Then you leave me no choice."
Soi Fon's pupils constricted.
The toxins in her system hadn't cleared, making her movements sluggish. Seeing Tosen draw his blade, she forced her Spiritual Pressure to rise and stepped forward.
"Tosen Kaname, are you trying to start an internal feud?!"
"A feud?"
Tosen shook his head.
"Not at all. Since your team believes it's capable of holding a high-profile Squad 9 deserter, I shall test that capability to see if you're truly qualified."
Seeing this, the three Squad 9 members drew their swords despite their doubts, only for Tosen's voice to snap out.
"Back down! This is my business alone. It has nothing to do with you."
He spoke with an air of righteousness, taking all responsibility upon himself.
Having said that, he turned to face Ren and the others.
Ren looked at Tosen and curled his lip.
After all that talk, it came down to a fight for the prisoner anyway.
He hadn't deactivated his Shikai specifically to guard against a sudden attack.
"Since Fifth Seat Tosen is so insistent on a test..."
Ren slightly raised the tip of his blade.
"Then let's go."
Before the words could land, Tosen moved.
Instead of using Shunpo to close the distance, he pointed his blade toward the ground. The Zanpakuto in his hand began to emit a strange ringing sound.
At the same time, the Squad 9 members reacted instantly, covering their ears and retreating.
"Cry, Suzumushi."
Tosen uttered the release command. While the blade's form remained unchanged, the Spiritual Pressure on its surface began to vibrate rapidly, producing a bizarre noise.
At first, the sound seemed ordinary, but it soon began to synchronize with the heartbeat and resonate with Spiritual Pressure.
Suzumushi's First Path: Cry.
The invisible sound waves spread out, washing over Soi Fon first.
Already weakened by toxins, she felt a ringing in her ears. Her consciousness blurred, and her body swayed as she struggled to stay upright.
Sugimoto and Kawasaki were hit as well. Their faces turned pale as they dropped to one knee, feeling the sound drill into their minds and stall the flow of their Spiritual Pressure.
Ren also felt the buzzing in his head, followed by system text appearing before his eyes.
[SYSTEM: Analyzing Zanpakuto: Suzumushi]
[SYSTEM: Analysis progress 10%... 20%...]
Almost as soon as the analysis began, Ren felt the sound's influence on his mind start to fade.
However, he feigned a dazed expression, stumbling half a step back and letting his blade droop.
Sensing the change in their states, Tosen felt a surge of confidence.
He didn't hesitate, accelerating instantly toward the fallen Amamiya Shin.
As long as he took the man, his mission would be accomplished.
But just as he brushed past Ren's side...
Ren, who was supposed to be incapacitated by the ringing, suddenly moved.
A flash of his blade, like a bolt of lightning, pierced toward Tosen's ribs!
Tosen was shocked. He hurriedly brought his sword around to block, but the unexpected strike sent him reeling backward.
Ren pressed the attack. After a brief clash of blades, the sound's effect was broken, allowing Soi Fon and the others to recover.
Sensing Ren's position, Tosen's face showed genuine disbelief for the first time.
"You... How is this possible?"
"Is it that surprising?"
Ren rolled his wrist.
"Your sonic hypnosis is certainly impressive, but unfortunately for you..."
He shook his head as the sluggishness in his mind vanished along with the completion of the analysis.
"My hearing isn't very good. I couldn't quite catch that."