Two days passed quietly.
Everything seemed to return to normal in Soul Society. No pursuit was launched against Hitsugaya Tōshirō, and the Shinigami resumed their usual routines—training, handling division duties, and maintaining order.
Only Rangiku Matsumoto had not returned to her normal schedule.
With Hitsugaya absent, any work that required the captain's approval had to pass through her first.
Rangiku lay sprawled across her desk in boredom.
Although most tasks had been delegated downward, she still had to remain in the Squad Ten barracks. After all, she wasn't the captain—any matter she couldn't resolve herself had to be reported immediately.
"Captain… when are you coming back?" she groaned.
Compared to being trapped in the office, she would much rather be training. At least training gave her some motivation.
Just as she finished speaking, a powerful and terrifying Reiatsu suddenly swept across Seireitei.
Within that immense pressure, she sensed something familiar—
Her irresponsible captain's Reiatsu.
"Squad Ten! Everyone capable of fighting—move out! Reinforce the captain!"
Rangiku slammed her hand on the desk and sprang to her feet, her voice echoing throughout the barracks.
In an instant, she transformed from a lazy cat into a decisive battlefield commander.
Her decision came purely by instinct.
Without needing to think, she knew that Hitsugaya must be fighting an enemy. As his subordinates, every Shinigami in Squad Ten capable of combat followed Rangiku out.
Sōkyoku Hill — or rather, the ruins of its former site.
The original Sōkyoku Hill had been completely destroyed during the battle between Yamamoto and Tsunayoshi. What remained was now nothing more than a barren plaza.
Plans to rebuild the area had yet to be finalized.
It was here that Hitsugaya and Sōjirō Kusaka now stood facing each other.
Originally, Hitsugaya had found Kusaka inside an underground facility in the Human World.
They exchanged only a few words before Hitsugaya decisively drew his sword against his former friend.
But after only a brief clash, Kusaka had revealed the Ōin.
Using its power, he performed a large-scale spatial transfer, bringing both of them directly to the ruins of Sōkyoku Hill in Soul Society.
"Do you see it, Hitsugaya?" Kusaka shouted with a crazed grin.
Holding a sword in one hand and the Ōin in the other, he looked as though he had embraced the entire world.
"This is the power of the Ōin!"
"With it, the world is within my grasp!"
His expression suddenly darkened as he stared at Hitsugaya, his gaze almost devouring him.
"What are you waiting for? Soul Society has already abandoned you!"
"They haven't even tried to find you these past few days!"
"You're nothing but a traitor now!"
Kusaka spread his arms as if embracing the world.
"Join me."
"Together… we can rule everything."
Hitsugaya never responded.
He simply watched Kusaka's performance with cold suspicion in his eyes.
The moment he saw Kusaka again, something felt wrong.
And yet Kusaka knew details about their shared past—how they had trained with their Zanpakutō, the memories they once shared.
That was why Hitsugaya chose to draw his blade.
Deep down, he believed only sword against sword could reveal the truth.
Unfortunately, after only a few exchanges, Kusaka had activated the Ōin and transported them here—apparently to demonstrate its overwhelming power.
"Hitsugaya! Why are you still hesitating?" Kusaka shouted.
"Wouldn't ruling the world together be perfect?"
Hitsugaya slowly raised his Zanpakutō.
His lips moved slightly.
The cold words that followed instantly froze Kusaka's expression.
"Sit upon the frozen heavens… Hyōrinmaru."
That was his answer.
A chilling wind erupted from the blade.
An ice dragon spiraled around Hitsugaya's body.
Kusaka's face darkened.
After all his persuasion, Hitsugaya hadn't even replied with a single word.
Finally snapping, Kusaka shouted:
"Hitsugaya Tōshirō! Do you think you're the only one with Hyōrinmaru?!"
"Sit upon the frozen heavens—Hyōrinmaru!"
A purple ice dragon appeared.
But the instant it did—
Hitsugaya had already attacked.
The blue dragon and purple dragon collided violently in midair while their blades clashed below.
However, the difference between them quickly became obvious.
Kusaka was completely outmatched.
Whether it was the ice dragons or their swordsmanship, Hitsugaya dominated him in every aspect.
Amid the storm of ice crystals, Kusaka was forced to retreat step by step.
The purple ice dragon above him gradually lost strength.
With a violent explosion of ice—
Kusaka's disadvantage became undeniable.
Knocked away by Hitsugaya's strike, Kusaka dropped to one knee.
His long hair hung messily over his face as he looked up with a pleading expression.
"Hitsugaya… why?"
"Why can't you let me go?"
By now, more and more Shinigami had arrived around them.
Even Yamamoto had personally led a group to observe the battle.
Yet no one intervened.
Everyone understood that Hitsugaya wanted to settle this himself.
Tsunayoshi stood nearby, looking around in mild boredom.
Kusaka's pitiful state wasn't interesting anymore.
Instead, something else caught his attention.
Kyōraku Shunsui and Jūshirō Ukitake were both absent.
Tsunayoshi quietly moved beside Yamamoto.
"Where are your two disciples?"
"The fish in the iron barrel has started to struggle," Yamamoto replied calmly.
They were referring to the increasingly isolated Tsunayashiro Clan.
Originally, Tsunayoshi thought Tsunayashiro Tokinada intended to control the entire clan.
He had even considered luring Kusaka there to stir up trouble.
But Tokinada had chosen this exact moment to act—likely using Kusaka's intrusion into Soul Society as cover to pull the Tsunayashiro Clan completely out of the Gotei Thirteen's attention.
Kyōraku had clearly realized the same thing.
The moment his spies reported suspicious activity around the Tsunayashiro estate, he abandoned the idea of watching Hitsugaya's fight.
On the way there, he also brought Ukitake with him.
With those two present, the situation at the Tsunayashiro estate wouldn't require further concern.
That meant Tsunayoshi could enjoy watching Hitsugaya's battle.
Facing Kusaka's accusations, Hitsugaya's expression turned cold with disgust.
"You dare speak to me like that?"
"Bankai."
Ice armor spread across his body.
Daiguren Hyōrinmaru had been unleashed.
From their earlier clash, Hitsugaya had already confirmed something.
He no longer needed to hold back against the man before him.
"Have you gone insane, Hitsugaya Tōshirō?!" Kusaka roared.
"I'm Sōjirō Kusaka!"
"Who trained with you to master your Zanpakutō?"
"Who was there when you first obtained Hyōrinmaru's power?"
"Have you forgotten all of that?!"
Ignoring the outburst, Hitsugaya walked forward step by step.
Frost covered the blade of his Zanpakutō.
"Why don't you keep talking?" Hitsugaya said calmly.
"Our past didn't only consist of training with our Zanpakutō."
"The times we met, became friends, and grew stronger together—why not mention those?"
"Or…"
His gaze sharpened.
"…do you simply not know?"
"Hyōrinmaru."
The moment those words fell, the surrounding cold surged violently.
If Kusaka's answer displeased him—
Hitsugaya's blade would show no mercy.
Kusaka froze.
For a moment, it looked as though someone had strangled his voice.
Then slowly—
A sinister smile appeared.
"When did you figure it out?"
"From the very beginning," Hitsugaya replied calmly.
"The moment you attacked the Ōin transport team, I knew you weren't Sōjirō."
"And just now… your sword confirmed it."
"Not a single one of your techniques came from the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy's swordsmanship."
"The real Sōjirō Kusaka lacked battle experience."
"There's no way he would completely abandon the academy style."
"So the only conclusion is this."
"You're not Sōjirō Kusaka."
Kusaka sneered.
"As expected of the one I chose."
"You're far more talented than that useless fool who couldn't even achieve Bankai."
Then he stared at Hitsugaya.
"So what will you do with me?"
"Kill you."
Hitsugaya answered instantly.
"For Sōjirō's sake."
"Revenge."
Kusaka burst into hysterical laughter.
"Me?"
"I am Hyōrinmaru!"
"Can a sword be cruel?"
"The one who should be cruel… is you, Hitsugaya Tōshirō!"
"Yes," Hitsugaya replied quietly.
"It was my weakness back then that allowed part of Hyōrinmaru's power to flow into Sōjirō."
"After killing you…"
"I will personally apologize to him."
Hitsugaya remembered the records he had read in Central 46.
Soul Society forbade the existence of two identical Zanpakutō.
Because eventually—
They would devour one another.
It was an instinct of the blade itself.
As the wielders grew stronger, if one of them succumbed to the Zanpakutō's temptation, the blade could control them and cause a disaster for Soul Society.
That was why Central 46 had always eliminated such situations early.
Before the wielders became powerful—
Only one master would remain.
Kusaka spat angrily.
"What hypocrisy!"
"You were the one who defeated Sōjirō!"
"You're still pretending?"
"Tell me this!"
"When I was about to surrender—why did Sōjirō suddenly freeze?"
"Why did he suddenly throw himself onto your blade?"
Hitsugaya's voice grew heavier.
"It was you."
"The Hyōrinmaru inside Sōjirō."
"You seized control of his body."
"You wanted to be the sole survivor."
"But you lost against Sōjirō's will."
"He forced himself onto my blade instead."
After realizing the man before him wasn't truly Sōjirō, Hitsugaya had repeatedly replayed the past in his mind.
Combined with the records he discovered—
He finally reached a single conclusion.
The Hyōrinmaru within Kusaka had been the true murderer.
"Pathetic! Weak! Worthless!"
Kusaka spat angrily.
He wasn't insulting Hitsugaya—
He was insulting the real Sōjirō Kusaka.
If that man had been stronger, the Hyōrinmaru remaining in Soul Society today would not belong to Hitsugaya.
"So those are your final words?" Hitsugaya asked coldly.
He raised his sword high.
"Then enjoy your funeral."
Snow began to fall from the dark clouds above.
Each snowflake that touched the ground bloomed into a palm-sized ice flower.
When one hundred ice flowers completely covered the enemy—
A tomb formed from frozen blossoms.
And the enemy's life came to an end.
"Hyōten Hyakkasō."
Hitsugaya Tōshirō's ultimate technique.
He was truly furious now.
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