While the Visored were mobilizing in full force, Sawada Tsunayoshi remained completely calm, squatting not far from Muguruma Kensei and watching as Shinji and the others reinforced the restraints with Bakudō.
Tsuna's behavior initially drew angry shouts from the Visored. But seeing that he remained unmoved, they eventually ignored him. Right now, Kensei's condition was far more important.
More and more white Hollow matter surged out from Kensei's body.
Gradually, it enveloped the few remaining features that identified him as human.
His fists transformed into white blades.
The armor on his back bulged into several cylindrical protrusions that gathered Hollow Reiatsu.
The ribbon-like belts behind him were completely altered by Hollow power, turning pure white.
Violent Reiatsu erupted from Kensei.
Accompanied by inhuman screams, the Bakudō restraining him began cracking piece by piece.
Then—
A hole opened in his chest.
A Hollow Hole.
Kensei was turning into a Hollow.
"Not good—Hachigen!" Shinji shouted.
The iron pillars pinning Kensei down were already shaking violently. Shinji immediately called for Hachigen Ushōda to reinforce the restraints.
But it was already too late.
The fully Hollowfied Kensei slammed a fist into the ground.
BOOM!
A massive explosion erupted.
It was the explosive power of Tekken Tachikaze.
Kensei had applied his Bankai's destructive force directly to the ground, blasting himself free from the restraints.
As the smoke cleared—
A monstrous creature stood before them.
Aside from the mask on its head, almost no human features remained.
The white substance continued spreading across his body. Once it reached his head completely—
Muguruma Kensei would become a true Hollow.
"This is bad…" Shinji muttered.
Did it really have to come to this?
Would they be forced to kill their own comrade?
Unlike Shinji, who was still hesitating—
Tsuna moved instantly.
He appeared right in front of Kensei.
This level was enough. If the Hollowfication continued any further, Tsuna himself would become responsible for Kensei's death.
A powerful punch slammed into Hollowfied Kensei.
But Tsuna was surprised.
His punch didn't move Kensei even slightly.
Instead—
A wound exploded open on Tsuna's own arm.
Tsuna immediately recognized the injury.
It was caused by the explosive power of Tekken Tachikaze.
But this time, Kensei hadn't even thrown a punch.
Had his ability evolved to the point where he could inject explosive force directly into an enemy's body?
Looking at the vastly empowered Kensei, Tsuna began wondering.
Was this still Hollowfication?
The way Kensei had released the power of his blade throughout his entire body—
It almost resembled something else.
Resurrección.
"Sawada kid, get away from him!" Shinji shouted.
"This is no longer something you can handle!"
The moment Shinji saw Tsuna injured by a simple attack, he had already made his judgment.
His plan now was simple:
Use Sakanade to stall Kensei and hope he could hold out until Urahara Kisuke arrived.
As for fighting Kensei head-on with the Visored?
Shinji had no illusions.
They likely couldn't survive against this version of Kensei.
As if confirming his thoughts—
Kensei swung a punch at Tsuna.
The wind pressure alone exploded through the air.
Even though Tsuna dodged, the shockwave struck him from a distance.
Blood dripped from his arm.
But the Sun Flame quickly healed the wound.
At that moment, Tsuna became even more certain.
The power of Tekken Tachikaze had evolved further.
Even the air's explosive force could injure him now.
"I guess there's no choice," Shinji muttered.
Seeing Tsuna injured, he prepared to act.
"Collapse—"
But before Shinji could finish releasing his Shikai—
A bone-chilling Reiatsu suddenly appeared.
It was abrupt.
One moment felt like standing under the warm sun of spring—
The next felt like plunging into the frozen depths of the polar night.
"Hollowfication? Who says I can't use it too?"
Following that arrogant voice, Shinji looked up.
A half Hollow mask had appeared on Tsuna's face.
The warm sunlight-like Reiatsu and the icy darkness both came from Tsuna.
The moment the mask formed—
The transformation occurred.
Shinji suddenly understood.
Why had Tsuna been provoking them to use Hollowfication all this time?
There could only be one reason.
Tsuna himself possessed Hollow powers.
And judging from the situation—
Tsuna was using Hollowfication while in Bankai.
Shinji was baffled.
Why had this kid come looking for them at all?
Tsuna's control over Hollowfication already surpassed the entire Visored group.
After all—
None of them dared to attempt Hollowfication in Bankai.
With the mask on, Tsuna's Reiatsu still retained the warm nature of the Sun Flame, but now carried a chilling undertone.
Its intensity rose to an entirely new level.
That cold sun-like Reiatsu pressed toward Kensei with overwhelming force.
Stimulated by Tsuna's Reiatsu—
Hollowfied Kensei brought his hands together.
A sphere of crimson spiritual energy gathered between them.
The Hollow's signature attack—
Cero.
Golden flames erupted from Tsuna's feet.
Using both the propulsion boosters and Shunpo, he appeared before Kensei in a half-crouching stance.
The flames on his arm bracelet spun violently.
They burned like a blazing sun.
Along the edge of his golden fist—
A faint black aura appeared.
Hollowfication — Rising Sun Punch!
An immense surge of Reiatsu blasted forward with the strike.
All of it crashed directly into Kensei's mask.
BOOM!
Tsuna's punch struck Kensei squarely in the jaw.
The mask shattered instantly.
At the same time—
Kensei's original body was launched out of the Hollow shell like a projectile, tumbling headfirst toward the ground.
Aikawa Love, wearing a tracksuit, reacted instantly.
Using Shunpo, he rushed to the landing point and caught Kensei before he hit the ground.
Looking at Kensei's rolled-back eyes, Love examined him briefly.
"He seems fine," Love said.
"Just unconscious."
The injuries Kensei had suffered earlier had already healed thanks to High-Speed Regeneration.
There were no visible wounds left.
Once the Visored confirmed Kensei was safe, everyone finally relaxed.
Shinji walked up to Tsuna with a complicated expression.
After all—
Kensei's Hollowfication had been caused by Tsuna.
Yet at the same time—
Tsuna had also saved him.
"…Thanks, Sawada kid," Shinji said reluctantly.
Tsuna ignored him.
Instead, he stood in the air atop Reishi, searching the remains of the Hollow shell before him.
Soon, he discovered something.
Inside the opening where Kensei had emerged—
A Zanpakutō in its sealed Asauchi form was embedded in the Hollow shell.
When Kensei had flown out earlier, his Bankai had already disappeared, so Tsuna guessed the Zanpakutō's power had remained here.
Tsuna pulled the sword free.
The moment the blade left the shell—
The Hollow body collapsed.
It dissolved into countless Reishi particles, disappearing completely.
Tsuna released his Bankai and carefully inspected Kensei's Zanpakutō.
As expected—
He could sense Hollow energy from it.
But how could he confirm it?
Tsuna's instincts told him something simple:
Only a Zanpakutō can truly understand another Zanpakutō.
Without hesitation, Tsuna drew his black blade and clashed it against Kensei's Asauchi.
The collision caused a resonance.
Inside Tsuna's mind—
Two figures appeared.
A white monster.
And a proud boxer.
This must be the manifestation of Kensei's Zanpakutō power.
The white monster resembled Kensei's Hollow form—clearly representing Hollow power.
The boxer obviously represented the Shinigami power behind Tekken Tachikaze.
In other words—
This Zanpakutō possessed both Bankai and Resurrección-like power.
If its combat performance seemed lacking—
That was simply because Kensei himself wasn't using it well enough.
"Interesting," Tsuna murmured.
"What?" Shinji asked, confused.
To him, Tsuna smashing two swords together looked like he was trying to break Kensei's Zanpakutō.
Tsuna suddenly turned and slashed at Shinji.
Shinji reacted instantly—his captain-level reflexes kicking in—and blocked the strike with Sakanade, still in its sealed state.
"Kid, what the hell are you doing?" Shinji demanded.
The Visored immediately drew their weapons again.
But Tsuna didn't attack further.
He sheathed his blade and handed Kensei's sword to Shinji.
"Strange, isn't it?" Tsuna said.
"Feel it carefully. There's Hollow power on it."
"What nonsense?" Shinji scoffed.
Did Tsuna think he didn't understand Hollowfication?
For a hundred years, every time the Visored used their Hollow masks, they simply drew the Hollow power from within themselves.
Did Tsuna think the mask-wearing was just for show?
But the moment Shinji held the blade—
He froze.
Something felt wrong.
Just as Shinji prided himself on understanding Hollowfication—
He could clearly sense a faint presence from the sword.
A presence that felt like—
A Hollow.
Without hesitation, Shinji slashed his own face lightly.
A samurai-like Hollow mask with a sinister grin appeared.
Using his Hollow senses, he examined the sword again.
And sure enough—
There was Hollow power inside it.
Seeing Shinji's expression change, Tsuna explained:
"I used my Zanpakutō as a medium to sense it. Inside that blade, there's both Shinigami power and Hollow power."
"But your sword doesn't have anything like that."
"That's impossible," Shinji started.
"A Zanpakutō only contains the power of a Shi—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
If a Zanpakutō could only contain Shinigami power…
Then what exactly was this blade?
"Zanpakutō aren't exclusive to Shinigami," Tsuna said.
"Otherwise, why do you think I came looking for you?"
He drew his white blade.
Shinji's pupils shrank.
The instant the blade left its sheath—
He felt overwhelming Hollow power emanating from it.
Was Tsuna's Hollowfication ability coming from this white blade?
Seeing Shinji understand, Tsuna sheathed the weapon again and returned to his casual clothes.
He carefully reviewed everything Shinji and Kensei had said.
From Shinji's explanation, the Visored's Zanpakutō clearly did not contain Hollow power.
So why had Kensei's Zanpakutō mutated?
There was only one possible explanation.
The anomaly—
Was Tsuna himself.
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