"Captain Hitsugaya, catch!"
Urahara Kisuke tossed the hollow-shell Zanpakutō toward him.
"What is this…?" Hitsugaya asked in confusion.
But when his gaze briefly met Tsunayoshi, he immediately understood.
Tsunayoshi intended for him to complete Hyōrinmaru's missing half.
At that moment, the ice flowers had already covered half of Kusaka's body.
Hitsugaya caught the empty Zanpakutō. Sending his old friend on his final journey with this blade… might not be such a bad ending.
"Hitsugaya Tōshirō… if only you had been the one to wield me…" Kusaka murmured. His expression gradually became twisted and obsessive as he indulged in unrealistic fantasies.
"If you were my wielder… Hyōrinmaru would already be complete…"
"What brought you to this point is yourself, Hyōrinmaru," Hitsugaya said coldly, pointing his sword at him.
"This has nothing to do with the wielder. Your ever-growing ambition could only end in destruction."
"Tch… words of the victor," Kusaka sneered.
"But you don't actually think you've won, do you?"
"Even if you try to escape with the Ōin, it won't help," Hitsugaya replied calmly.
"The Reiatsu of Hyōten Hyakkasō has already penetrated your body. No matter where you run… I will still kill you."
As he spoke, Hitsugaya thrust the empty Zanpakutō straight toward Kusaka's chest.
He had no interest in continuing this conversation with someone merely pretending to be Kusaka.
At that moment—
Two spheres of lightning and flame fell from the sky.
It was the Arrancar sisters again.
Their purpose this time was simple: to prevent Hitsugaya from killing Kusaka.
"Tch… annoying."
Hitsugaya reversed his grip and slid the empty Zanpakutō back into the sheath behind him.
They were nothing more than minor obstacles.
He didn't mind wasting a little time.
By now, ice flowers covered almost Kusaka's entire body. Only his torso, one arm, and his head could still move.
Yet there was no despair on his face.
Instead, there was something like admiration… and regret.
"What a shame," he sighed.
"If you had joined me… the complete power of Hyōrinmaru combined with the Ōin would have conquered the world."
"But since you resisted… I'll just have to reclaim what's rightfully mine."
The Hyōrinmaru controlling Kusaka had orchestrated everything—isolating Hitsugaya and forcing him into a situation of betrayal and abandonment.
Its true goal had always been the Hyōrinmaru in Hitsugaya's hands.
Its desire had never changed.
It wanted to become a complete Zanpakutō.
It admired Hitsugaya's talent.
But its own master had been too weak.
It wanted to become the blade that truly sat upon the frozen heavens.
Now it had abandoned all restraint.
The power of Hyōrinmaru would inevitably belong to it.
As for Hitsugaya Tōshirō—
He was merely a speck of dust on the path to world domination.
The golden Ōin slid into Kusaka's palm.
He had no intention of escaping with spatial transfer.
After all, he understood Hyōten Hyakkasō perfectly.
Hitsugaya had not lied.
Trying to flee in this state would only lead to death.
There was only one path left.
Use the overwhelming power of the Ōin to break Hyōten Hyakkasō's Reiatsu—
And merge with it.
The Hyōrinmaru inside Kusaka felt fortunate.
Fortunate that it had not died together with Kusaka.
Fortunate that its ambition had allowed it to sustain Kusaka's body and Zanpakutō for a short time after death.
Fortunate that during that fleeting moment—
It had bathed in the light of the Ōin.
That brief contact allowed Kusaka to use the Ōin when no one else could.
It was his final chance to turn the tables.
He casually tossed the seal upward.
A flash of steel—
The Ōin was split in half.
The power sealed within it instantly spiraled out of control.
Terrifying Reiatsu erupted outward with Kusaka at the center, sweeping across Soul Society.
The shockwave shattered every ice flower instantly.
A colossal vortex of spiritual pressure surged into the sky.
Clouds twisted violently into a massive spiral of black storm clouds that pressed down upon all of Seireitei.
For a moment—
Even breathing felt difficult.
Then gradually…
The storm subsided.
Kusaka's new form emerged.
A purple humanoid ice dragon.
Dragon head.
Humanoid torso.
Wings spreading behind his back.
Clawed limbs glinting with frost.
It was clearly the manifestation of Kusaka's Hyōrinmaru itself.
"ROOOOAAARRR!!!"
A deafening dragon roar echoed throughout Soul Society.
The purple Hyōrinmaru—now referred to as Purplemaru—had not spoken with its true voice for a very long time.
Experiencing the world without relying on a borrowed body…
Felt incredible.
"Interesting… now this is getting fun."
Watching the transformation and sensing Purplemaru's Reiatsu, Tsunayoshi suddenly became interested again.
He hadn't forgotten that Kusaka had stabbed him earlier.
The previous Kusaka probably would have died from a single punch.
But now?
Now he was strong enough to be worth fighting.
Just as Purplemaru turned to inspect his prey—
Hitsugaya was already in front of him.
The familiar Ryūsenka stance formed instantly.
Even the Arrancar sisters beside Purplemaru hadn't reacted yet.
Hitsugaya had already thrust his sword forward.
A gigantic cross-shaped explosion of ice erupted.
Even the Arrancar sisters had to retreat from the blast.
Purplemaru took the attack head-on.
"Hitsugaya…"
A hoarse dragon voice echoed.
"Did you forget something?"
"Our power comes from the same source."
"You think ice can kill me?"
"Don't be ridiculous."
The ice cross shattered instantly.
In fact—
The ice coating Purplemaru's body seemed even thicker afterward.
Purplemaru swung a claw toward Hitsugaya.
Hitsugaya immediately countered with a sweeping ice dragon tail strike.
BOOM!
The collision sent Hitsugaya flying backward.
Purplemaru gazed at him for a moment with faint nostalgia.
Then it flapped its wings—
And flew straight toward the towering structure in the center of Seireitei.
The Tower of Repentance.
"Head Captain!"
Almost every Shinigami present turned toward Yamamoto.
Except for Squad Ten.
The situation had clearly spiraled out of control.
The Gotei Thirteen needed the Head Captain's command before attacking.
Yet Yamamoto did not give an order immediately.
Instead—
He looked toward Hitsugaya.
A thousand years of experience had taught him patience.
Unless Soul Society itself faced destruction—
He would not act rashly.
This matter had begun with Hitsugaya.
And Hitsugaya's letter had clearly expressed his wish to resolve it himself.
Yamamoto respected that decision.
Of course—
Such patience was only possible because of his overwhelming strength.
With the help of Squad Ten members, Hitsugaya stood up again.
In the distance, Purplemaru stood atop the Tower of Repentance, arms stretched outward like a giant cross.
Ice spread outward from beneath his feet.
Within moments—
It had frozen several entire streets.
Purplemaru had wanted to seize Hitsugaya's Hyōrinmaru immediately.
But with so many Shinigami present, that would have been impossible.
Instead—
He would save the best prize for last.
First, he would eliminate the insignificant insects surrounding Hitsugaya.
Then he would devour the other half of Hyōrinmaru.
Thus he chose a high vantage point.
Using it as a center—
He began constructing an ice world.
Within this frozen domain, he could spawn countless sub-draconic ice monsters.
They would be his army against Soul Society.
The Arrancar sisters flew to his side and knelt upon the ice.
Their eyes burned with fanatical devotion.
To them, Purplemaru had already become a god.
Purplemaru laughed inwardly.
These two idiots had been random finds in Hueco Mundo.
They lacked intelligence—
But their power was sufficient.
Now they could serve as energy sources for expanding the ice world.
Without hesitation—
He froze them into two massive ice spheres.
Their power was rapidly extracted.
More and more ice monsters began appearing throughout Seireitei.
Meanwhile, the Tower of Repentance transformed into an enormous frozen spire that pierced the clouds.
"We can't wait any longer," said Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
"The Ōin itself stabilizes space. If we delay further, that creature will establish a completely sealed Ice Kingdom inside Seireitei."
Yamamoto still remained silent.
He was waiting for Hitsugaya's decision.
He trusted Tsunayoshi's judgment.
And he trusted his own.
Hitsugaya exhaled deeply.
Facing a monster born from Hyōrinmaru itself—
His ice-based abilities were heavily weakened.
The earlier Ryūsenka attack had proven that.
He finally understood.
This was no longer something he could resolve alone.
Discarding his captain's haori earlier had been childish.
Now—
He needed the strength of his comrades.
"Everyone," Hitsugaya called out.
"This situation began with me, Hitsugaya Tōshirō."
"It has now exceeded my ability to control."
"I ask for your assistance."
"I will personally repay each of you afterward."
He raised his voice even louder.
"I need your help."
"Please!"
The Shinigami present all smiled proudly.
Even those who were not captains or lieutenants felt honored.
After all—
Being personally asked for help by Captain Hitsugaya would make an excellent story later.
Some people—like Rangiku—took it even further.
She slung an arm around Hitsugaya's shoulders and loudly demanded he repeat the request so she could record it next time.
Hitsugaya simply gave her a cold glare.
Rangiku burst into laughter.
Then—
THUD.
The sound was not loud.
But its Reiatsu echoed clearly into every Shinigami's ears.
"Emergency order."
"All members of the Gotei Thirteen are to cooperate with Captain Hitsugaya."
"Eliminate the criminal who destroyed the Ōin—Sōjirō Kusaka."
Yamamoto's command spread across the battlefield.
Cheers erupted across the ruins of Sōkyoku Hill.
With Hitsugaya requesting aid—
And the Head Captain issuing the order—
The fighting spirit of every Shinigami surged.
"I'll break the path!"
With a burst of wings—
Hitsugaya shot forward first.
This was his battle.
He refused to let his subordinates sacrifice their lives clearing the way.
He would do everything possible to reduce their casualties.
If ice attacks were ineffective—
Then he would cut them down with his blade.
Maintaining the Ryūsenka thrust, Hitsugaya compressed his Reiatsu into the sword's edge.
In a single strike—
He skewered three monsters at once.
"Captain Hitsugaya—wait for us!"
Amid the shouts—
Every Shinigami who had received the order rushed forward.
Together—
They followed Hitsugaya into the frozen world.
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