"Thank you for letting me have Kumoi, Toshiro. After all, he was my father's murderer. If I couldn't kill him with my own hands, I would regret it for life."
Shusuke said solemnly.
"How do you feel now that your revenge is complete? A bit better?"
Toshiro asked.
"No. Although Kumoi is dead, for some reason, I feel a sense of loss in my heart."
Shusuke looked at Kumoi's severed body, his expression blank and lost.
"Well, it's all over. Let go of what needs letting go. From now on, just be a good Shinigami."
Toshiro comforted Shusuke, then looked at Kumoi's remaining subordinates.
"Kumoi is dead! Will you not surrender?"
Toshiro shouted sternly.
However, Toshiro underestimated their loyalty to Kumoi. Even after witnessing his death with their own eyes, they still had no intention of surrendering.
"Charge! Avenge Kumoi-sama!"
Kumoi's subordinates charged at Toshiro and Shusuke with fanatical expressions.
"Hmph, obstinate fools!"
Toshiro snorted coldly.
"Sit Upon the Frozen Heavens, Hyorinmaru!"
Toshiro drew his sword again and shouted.
Boom!
Powerful Reiatsu suddenly erupted. Extremely cold, frigid air emanated, condensing into a blue ice dragon. Because they were inside the workshop with limited space, the dragon Toshiro condensed this time was only over ten meters long, not dozens of meters like before.
However, although smaller in size, its power was more concentrated. Even Shusuke beside him felt a chill in his heart just looking at the dragon Toshiro had condensed.
"Roar!"
The dragon roared and suddenly charged at Kumoi's remaining subordinates.
Crack, crack, crack—!!
Everything the dragon passed, whether people or objects, was instantly frozen.
Then Toshiro gently waved his hand, and the dragon disappeared again, as if nothing had happened. But the entire workshop had turned into a freezer, covered in ice crystals and filled with frigid air. Kumoi's subordinates had become lifelike ice sculptures.
"Let's go, Shusuke. Let's check on Sojiro's situation."
Toshiro directly turned and left.
"Ah... oh."
Shusuke looked shocked at the hundred or so people instantly frozen into ice sculptures and the frozen workshop. Although he had personally experienced Toshiro's immense power before, he still hadn't expected it to reach such a level.
These elite subordinates of Kumoi were not weak. With Bakkoto in hand, many could rival seated officers. If they had attacked individually, Shusuke believed he could easily kill them too.
But if a hundred of them attacked together, even if Shusuke could defeat them, he didn't know how much time and at what cost.
However, for Toshiro, from start to finish, it was just one move.
'Heh, thinking back then that I could take on the entire Gotei 13 with Bakkoto... how ridiculous.'
Shusuke couldn't help but mock himself.
Seeing Toshiro turn and leave, Shusuke quickly followed.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
After Toshiro and Shusuke left the workshop, the lifelike subordinates frozen inside instantly shattered, turning into fine ice crystals that sparkled and fluttered down like snowflakes.
…
On the other side, the battlefields of Sojiro vs Nukui, and the others, were each engaged in their own fights. The Onmitsukido members stood far away on the periphery, not daring to approach.
The destructive power of a Captain-level battle was too great. So, like last time, Sojiro had lured Nukui to fight high in the sky.
At this moment, Sojiro was engaged in a fierce battle with Nukui.
Last time, to escape from Sojiro, Nukui had burned his life force. This time, facing him again, Nukui unhesitatingly began burning his life force from the start to enhance the Bakkoto's power.
Because Nukui knew that since his previous transcendent-limit fusion with the Bakkoto, it had been devouring his life force continuously. So even if he didn't burn more this time, he didn't have much time left.
Since that was the case, he might as well fight to the death and let his life bloom brilliantly in its final moments.
By burning his life force at any cost, Nukui, who was originally weaker than Sojiro, was now able to trade blows with him on equal terms.
"Ha!"
Nukui shouted loudly, striking with all his might, temporarily repelling Sojiro.
Sojiro looked at him gravely: "You bastard! Do you know what you're doing? If you continue like this, you'll be completely devoured by the Bakkoto's power."
Even Sojiro was shocked by the power Nukui had released. But unlike last time, he now knew what the Bakkoto was and also knew that if this continued, without him needing to lift a finger, the frenzied Nukui would be devoured by its power.
"Pant... pant..."
Nukui, drenched in sweat, breathed heavily: "Of course I know what I'm doing. We are doomed to fall anyway. But even if I die, I'll drag you down to hell with me!"
"Hmph! Obstinate fool!"
Sojiro snorted coldly.
Nukui suddenly sneered: "But what you said just now is right. If this continues, I'll be devoured by the Bakkoto before I can kill you. So let's end this quickly. I'll bet all my power on this one move!"
With that, Nukui suddenly poured all his power into the Bakkoto, then aimed the mirror embedded in it at Sojiro.
"This move again?"
Sojiro tensed and began going all out with his Shunpo.
Sojiro's figure flickered left and right, unpredictably, preventing Nukui from locking onto him with the Bakkoto.
"I've seen through your move!"
Sojiro, moving at high speed, suddenly shouted.
Whoosh!
Sojiro suddenly appeared to Nukui's right and thrust his sword. However, he wasn't aiming at Nukui himself, but at the Bakkoto connected to his arm.
Bang!
The mirror embedded in Nukui's Bakkoto shattered, breaking into countless tiny glass fragments that fell downwards.
Sojiro then took the opportunity to retreat downwards, avoiding Nukui's subsequent counterattack.
As he retreated, Sojiro said calmly and confidently: "I told you before. The same trick won't work on me twice. Your Bakkoto attacks by using that embedded mirror to reflect light, right? Then… all I have to do is destroy the mirror!"
"Is that so?"
A strange smile suddenly appeared on Nukui's face.
"What?"
A sense of foreboding suddenly rose in Sojiro's heart.
Then the falling glass fragments suddenly flashed with dazzling light, and Nukui's Bakkoto also emitted a piercing beam of light aimed at Sojiro.
"Ah—"
Blinded by the light, Sojiro had to close his eyes.
Then a powerful pull dragged him into a dark hole created by the Bakkoto's power.
When Sojiro opened his eyes, he found himself in an illusory space filled with mirrors floating everywhere.
Sojiro walked to a mirror and saw a reflection of himself wearing a Shin'o Academy's uniform.
The reflection's eyes were vacant. Looking into them, Sojiro felt his mind waver, and then he completely lost consciousness.
When Sojiro came to, he found himself standing in the Shin'o Academy, wearing the white-top, blue-bottom uniform.
"Yo, Sojiro, what are you spacing out for? Class is about to start."
A voice suddenly came from behind. Sojiro turned around and saw Toshiro, also wearing the Shin'o Academy uniform.