"My, my, Muramasa, stop fighting. The one you sought is no more. Continuing to fight is meaningless, it will only bring more pain. So surrender, Muramasa."
Toshiro tried to persuade him.
Although they had been enemies before, Toshiro deeply sympathized with Muramasa's circumstances. If possible, Toshiro didn't want to kill Muramasa. Of course, part of the reason was also because he valued Muramasa's abilities.
But regardless, Toshiro truly did not want to kill Muramasa. Otherwise, if Toshiro got serious, not to mention Muramasa's current strength, even if he were ten times stronger, Toshiro could easily deal with him.
So, seeing that Muramasa hadn't completely lost control and still retained some reason, Toshiro actively urged him to surrender.
"Ugh aaaaaaah—!!!"
Before he could respond to Toshiro, Muramasa was again assaulted by the Hollow power and clutched his head screaming.
"I won't lose! Won't lose! Won't lose! Won't lose!! Koga!!!"
Muramasa shouted while desperately suppressing the Hollow power.
"Even in this state, you still long for Koga? How persistent..."
Toshiro remarked with a myriad of emotions.
A loyal Zanpakuto like Muramasa is what every Shinigami desires. Unfortunately, he encountered a master like Koga.
"Ugh aaaaaaah!!"
Although Muramasa desperately tried to suppress the Hollowification power within him, unfortunately, not everyone is a protagonist like Ichigo. Having devoured too many Hollows, Muramasa ultimately failed and was completely controlled by the Hollow power.
Whoosh!
The Hollowfied Muramasa flashed and suddenly appeared before Toshiro, swinging his sharp bone blade at him.
Clang!
This time, Toshiro didn't arrogantly try to fight Muramasa bare-handed. He immediately drew his Zanpakuto from his back to block.
After his attack was blocked, Muramasa stepped back a few paces, then launched another attack.
Clang, clang, clang!!
The sound of clashing blades rang out continuously. However, under Toshiro's impenetrable defense, Muramasa could not get the better of him.
Seeing that ordinary attacks couldn't harm Toshiro, Muramasa used Cero again.
Hum!
Purple-black Reiatsu gathered in his palm, forming a high-density sphere of light, then transformed into a massive beam of light shooting towards Toshiro.
Facing Muramasa's Cero, Toshiro's expression became somewhat serious. He poured his vast, surging Reiatsu into his Zanpakuto, forming an ice-blue Kenatsu that met Muramasa's Cero.
Boom!
Muramasa's Cero and Toshiro's Kenatsu collided. After a moment of stalemate, Toshiro's Kenatsu ultimately cut through the Cero and continued towards Muramasa undiminished.
Sclick!
Toshiro's Kenatsu struck Muramasa. Although its power had diminished after counteracting the Cero, it still left a huge gash on Muramasa's shoulder, cutting downwards, nearly slicing his body in half.
However, even after receiving such a cut, Muramasa's body muscles writhed for a moment, and the huge wound instantly disappeared, showing no sign of injury.
"Oh? Is this high-speed regeneration?"
Seeing this, Toshiro couldn't help but be a little surprised.
"Roar! I won't lose..."
Muramasa let out a huge roar, and his body suddenly erupted with black-red, ominous Reiatsu. His body also transformed into a black-red, amorphous mass.
"Hmm..."
Seeing this, Toshiro instinctively frowned with a bad feeling.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Clumps of black-red, plasma-like substance suddenly sprayed from Muramasa's transformed body in all directions. Finally, even Muramasa himself turned into a river of red-black plasma, surging in all directions.
As if unable to dodge in time, Toshiro was completely submerged by the red-black plasma river.
Then, the red-black plasma from all directions converged again, forming a huge red-black sphere.
Moreover, red lightning continuously flashed on the huge red-black sphere, and its volume continuously expanded, growing larger and larger.
In the distance, Senbonzakura, standing with Byakuya, exclaimed in horror: "How can this be! Captain Hitsugaya was swallowed! And his Reiatsu... it's disappeared!! Could it be..."
But Byakuya beside him said calmly: "Don't worry. Hitsugaya is fine. The disappearance of his Reiatsu is probably blocked by that red-black sphere. After all, that man is the Vice-Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, capable of rivaling Captain-Commander Yamamoto, the strongest Shinigami in a thousand years. How could he possibly die so easily at Muramasa's hands? And although I don't know why, Hitsugaya probably actively allowed himself to be swallowed, not because he couldn't handle it."
"I see."
Hearing Byakuya's explanation, Senbonzakura couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
He had just panicked a little when he saw Toshiro suddenly submerged by the red-black plasma river and trapped inside the huge red-black sphere.
Now, calming down and thinking about it, it was impossible for someone of Toshiro's strength to die so easily.
Shing, shing, shing...
Beams of black light shot out from the huge red-black sphere, transforming into one Gillian-class Menos Grande after another.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
The Gillian roared and began launching indiscriminate attacks, trying to destroy everything in sight.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Red Ceros were fired at Kuchiki Byakuya and Senbonzakura.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Byakuya and Senbonzakura continuously flashed through the air, dodging the Gillian's Ceros.
"Scatter, Senbonzakura!"
Byakuya activated his Shikai, his blade dissolving into countless pink, cherry-blossom-like tiny blades that swept towards the attacking Gillian.
Several Gillian were shredded by Byakuya's attack, dispersing into Reishi in the air.
Beside him, Senbonzakura also attacked, destroying several Gillian. But even so, countless more Gillian appeared.
It seemed unlikely that Byakuya and Senbonzakura alone could eliminate all these Gillian.
"This is getting troublesome..."
Byakuya frowned.
Boom!
A sudden loud noise. Byakuya quickly looked over and saw a beam of Reiatsu shoot from the huge red-black sphere into the sky. The space it hit developed cracks, which grew larger and larger, as if the entire space might shatter at any moment.
"Oh no! The Garganta is about to open!"
Senbonzakura exclaimed.
Dealing with this many Gillian was already too much for Byakuya and Senbonzakura. If the Garganta opened and countless Hollows poured out, it would be even more unmanageable.
But they couldn't ignore it. If they let so many Hollows run rampant, the Living World would be in danger.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Byakuya and Senbonzakura continuously flashed, destroying one Gillian after another.
Shing!
Just as Byakuya destroyed another Gillian, another Gillian nearby fired a Cero. This time, Byakuya couldn't dodge in time.
"Next Dance, White Ripple!"
A clear, gentle voice rang out, and a powerful surge of freezing cold directly froze the Gillian that was about to attack Byakuya into an ice sculpture.
Bang!
The ice sculpture shattered, turning into crystalline ice particles that fluttered down.
Byakuya exclaimed in surprise: "You are... Sode no Shirayuki!"
The newcomer was indeed Rukia's Zanpakuto, Sode no Shirayuki.
"Nii-sama!"
Rukia's figure also appeared.
"Rukia, why are you here?"
Byakuya asked.
"I'm not the only one who came, Nii-sama."
Following Rukia's gaze, numerous figures appeared in the sky.
Sui-Feng and her Zanpakuto, Suzumebachi... Omaeda and Gegetsuburi... Sajin... Renji and Zabimaru... Rangiku and Haineko... Momo and Tobiume... Kira and Wabisuke... Ikkaku and Hozukimaru... Yumichika and Ruri'iro Kujaku.