"I'm fine, Senbonzakura."
After recovering his strength, Byakuya indicated he was unharmed and told Senbonzakura he no longer needed support.
"If Koga... hadn't possessed such immense power, he wouldn't have become addicted to those boring and unrealistic fantasies."
Senbonzakura said with a somewhat complex tone.
"Being consumed by power, being dominated by power… this is the end of those weak of heart."
Byakuya said calmly with his eyes closed.
"Compared to you, who didn't hesitate to bear the stigma of a traitor to uphold your convictions, he's practically the opposite extreme. Well, at least now everything can finally return to peace."
Senbonzakura teased.
"You talk too much, Senbonzakura."
Faced with Senbonzakura's teasing, Byakuya maintained a calm exterior, but was actually a bit tsundere.
Whoosh—!!
The black hole in the sky still existed, and its suction was growing stronger.
"This is really never-ending."
Toshiro said with a look of finding it troublesome.
Just after he had frozen and shattered the countless ordinary Hollows and Gillian, even more Hollows rushed from afar, like moths to a flame, willingly being swallowed by the black hole in the sky.
Then, after absorbing the Hollows converging from all directions, the black hole suddenly transformed into a purple-black sphere of light.
Boom!
With an earth-shattering explosion, a small mushroom cloud rose. Violent shockwaves swept in all directions.
Toshiro's Captain's Haori fluttered noisily, but that was all.
When the smoke cleared and everything returned to calm, a figure covered in white bone armor, very similar to a Vizard, appeared in Toshiro's sight.
"Is this... Muramasa?"
Although it was a question, Toshiro's tone was very certain.
Although his appearance had changed, his Reiatsu was very similar, so Toshiro recognized him at a glance.
"This Reiatsu intensity almost exceeds Captain-class. Not bad, absorbing that many Hollows. But you've really degenerated, Muramasa."
"You desperately sought Koga's presence, only to be heartlessly abandoned. So you fell into despair and underwent Hollowification, Muramasa?"
Toshiro said.
But the Hollowfied Muramasa showed no reaction, as if he hadn't heard Toshiro.
"Roar!"
The Hollowfied Muramasa let out a roar, then flashed and charged at Toshiro.
Clang!
Toshiro's Zanpakuto clashed with the bone blade on Muramasa's arm, sparks flying.
Locked in combat, blade against blade, Toshiro looked into Muramasa's eyes and couldn't help but shudder.
Sadness, despair, loneliness, solitude.
Although Muramasa's eyes had turned red after Hollowification, Toshiro could still read the emotions revealed in them.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
With a burst of power, Toshiro and Muramasa separated, both stepping back.
"What a tragic guy..."
Toshiro remarked with some emotion.
Honestly, even Toshiro, who had experienced quite a bit and didn't care much about anything except friends and family, couldn't help but feel some sympathy for Muramasa.
Hum—!!!
Powerful Reiatsu gathered in Muramasa's hand, forming a huge purple-black sphere of light, emanating terrifying energy fluctuations.
"He can even release Cero now?"
Toshiro said with some surprise.
Swoosh!
Muramasa's Cero shot towards Toshiro in an instant, like lightning.
Toshiro calmly and unhurriedly sheathed his Zanpakuto on his back, then extended his right hand, preparing to block Muramasa's Cero with one hand.
But facts proved... don't show off, or you'll get hit!
Boom!
Muramasa's extremely powerful Cero made contact with Toshiro's palm. The immense force pushed Toshiro's body rapidly backward, his feet carving a shallow trench in the ground.
"Ha!"
Toshiro shouted, extending his left hand. Using both hands together to block Muramasa's Cero finally slowed his retreat.
Then Toshiro exerted force again, suddenly twisting his hands, deflecting the trajectory of Muramasa's Cero to the side.
Boom!!!
A deafening explosion sounded. The deflected Cero finally struck a moderately sized lake in the distance.
After Muramasa's powerful Cero exploded in the lake, a dozens of meters high wave shot into the sky, then crashed down, splashing countless droplets. The entire nearby area seemed to be hit by a torrential downpour.
"My, my... I really overplayed it this time."
Toshiro smiled wryly, glancing at his bleeding palm.
Muramasa's strength was already considerable. Coupled with devouring countless Gillian, even if they were just Gillian-class, his power had greatly increased.
Now, after Hollowification, Muramasa's Reiatsu had reached the peak of Captain-class, even approaching Beyond Captain-class.
And although Toshiro was powerful, easily able to kill ordinary Captains, that didn't include someone like Muramasa, who, with all-out power, had Reiatsu approaching beyond Captain-class.
Of course, the main reason was that Toshiro hadn't even released his Zanpakuto. His true strength, at the Shinigami peak, the 'Demi-god' level, couldn't be truly exerted.
Without releasing his Zanpakuto, dealing with most Captains was no problem.
But someone like Muramasa, at the peak of Captain-class, even approaching Beyond Captain-class, was a bit difficult. Not to mention Toshiro had initially arrogantly tried to block Muramasa's powerful Cero with one hand.
Now his palm was injured.
Whoosh!
Just then, Byakuya's figure flashed and also appeared on the scene.
"Yo, Byakuya, you already defeated Kuchiki Koga?"
Toshiro asked.
"Hmph, isn't that obvious? Did you think I would lose?"
Byakuya said with a cold, proud expression.
"Heh, you dare say that? Looking at your battered appearance, you probably barely won, right?"
Toshiro teased.
"And you dare talk about me? The honorable Vice-Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Captain of the 10th Division, a man on par with Captain-Commander Yamamoto, injured by a Zanpakuto? How embarrassing."
Byakuya glanced at Toshiro's injured hand and retorted.
"Heh heh... This... this was an accident, just an accident. I was just a bit overconfident. If I got serious, the fight would be over in an instant."
Toshiro said with an embarrassed grin.
"Ugh aaaaaaah—!!!"
While Toshiro and Byakuya were greeting each other, Muramasa didn't seize the opportunity to attack. Instead, he screamed and groaned again.
The Reiatsu in Muramasa's body suddenly began to fluctuate, sometimes high, sometimes low.
"I... won't lose... How could I lose to mere Hollow power!!"
Muramasa clawed at his head with both hands, shouting.
"Is this guy fighting the Hollows he absorbed?"
Byakuya said with some surprise.
The commotion when Muramasa transformed into a black hole and absorbed Hollows earlier was considerable. Byakuya, fighting Koga on the other side, had also noticed it.
This scene reminded Byakuya of his battle with Ichigo in the Soul Society.
Back then, Ichigo, on the verge of defeat, suddenly underwent Hollowification and his power greatly increased. However, Ichigo used his strong willpower to suppress the Hollow power and return to normal. The situation before him was very similar.