"Shoot him—Shinso."
Ichimaru Gin's smile didn't fade as his Zanpakutō extended in a flash of silver light. The blade lengthened instantly, its speed and reach splitting the air like lightning as it pierced toward Tōsen Kaname, who stood across the courtyard.
But Tōsen's upper body had already begun to distort—his flesh covered by a white, mask-like substance spreading across his skin. His spiritual pressure warped violently, his Hollowfication progressing rapidly.
In that instant, he dodged Gin's attack and appeared before him with speed surpassing a Shunpo. His clawed hand reached out, the Hollow armor gleaming with spiritual corruption.
Gin barely managed to lift his blade—
Boom!
The impact sent him flying backward through shattered tiles. Before he could regain balance, Tōsen was already upon him again.
Fast. Unbelievably fast.
And that strength… monstrous.
Gin opened his eyes, still wearing that faint grin. "Man… if I don't use Shikai seriously, I might actually die here."
Another blur of movement.
Boom!
Gin was slammed into the wall, the breath ripped from his lungs.
Tōsen's transformation deepened—white armor coating his body, a Hollow mask forming partially across his face. His body resembled a hybrid between Shinigami and Hollow, though not a complete Arrancar state. Black spikes extended from his hands, pulsing with Hollow energy.
When the transformation finished, Tōsen's Reiatsu spiked again. He dashed forward, the ground cracking beneath his feet.
Gin exhaled slowly. "Can't keep playing around…"
He raised his Zanpakutō.
"Bankai — Kamishini no Yari."
The blade extended faster than sound—so fast it blurred into vapor, slicing through the air like a compressed beam. It tore through Tōsen's thigh in a single motion.
Gin's Bankai, capable of extending up to thirteen kilometers and moving at over five hundred times the speed of sound, was feared across Seireitei. Even if those numbers were exaggerated, the truth was more dangerous—the blade's surface carried a deadly poison that disintegrated cells upon contact.
Even so, Tōsen barely flinched. His wound healed instantly, white Hollow armor regenerating in seconds. He lunged forward again.
"Tch… troublesome." Gin muttered, dodging sideways as the claw tore through his haori.
No matter how many times Gin slashed, the damage repaired itself. Each encounter forced him back further, the ground cracking beneath his feet.
Suddenly, a blue flash split the air. A powerful kick struck Tōsen mid-charge, sending him crashing through a row of pillars.
A new voice called out from behind Gin.
"What kind of monster is that?"
Gin turned, still smiling. "Captain Sui-Fēng, huh? That's a relief. That thing used to be Captain Tōsen… until something went horribly wrong."
Sui-Fēng's golden eyes narrowed as she analyzed the Hollow-tinged Reiatsu. "That's… Hollowfication. Urahara Kisuke's experiments again."
Gin nodded. "Captain, we should take him down together."
But Sui-Fēng shook her head. "No. Capture him alive. If we do, we might find Urahara's location."
Gin's smile faded. "He killed Kurotsuki Renya."
Sui-Fēng froze. "What?"
Gin looked down. "When I arrived, Tōsen was already like this… and Renya—he didn't stand a chance."
Her eyes widened. "Where is his body?"
"Gone. Disintegrated completely by a Cero."
Sui-Fēng's heart sank as she glanced at the deep crater carved into the ground, the faint scent of ozone still lingering. It was almost identical to the aftermath of Renya's lightning Kidō, making Gin's explanation all too believable.
Her throat tightened. "No…"
Before she could finish, a blur appeared behind her—Tōsen's claw reaching for her neck.
"Captain, behind you!" Gin shouted.
He swung Shinso, deflecting the blow. Sui-Fēng retaliated instantly, vanishing in a flash of Shunpo. Her kick connected with Tōsen's abdomen, sending him crashing into the earth.
"Don't interfere, Gin," she snapped, landing lightly. "This is my fight."
Her body flickered. Lightning flared around her frame as she engaged her Shunkō, surging spiritual energy erupting around her.
She clashed with Tōsen head-on—palm strikes and claws colliding at blinding speed. Tōsen's brute strength matched her speed, each hit shaking the ground.
Sui-Fēng darted behind him, thrusting a palm charged with lightning directly toward his spine.
Hadō #11: Tsuzuri Raiden!
The blast struck true—but the damage healed almost instantly.
"Regeneration on this level…" she muttered, frustrated.
Moments later, three figures appeared at the scene—Zaraki Kenpachi, Shiba Isshin, and Aizen Sōsuke.
Aizen's calm voice broke the chaos. "What happened here?"
Gin turned. "That's Captain Tōsen. He's undergone Hollowfication."
"Hollowfication?" Isshin's brow furrowed. "That's… dangerous."
Kenpachi grinned. "So he's not a Shinigami anymore? Then I can kill him, right?"
Before he could move, Gin grabbed his collar. "Don't, Kenpachi."
"Why not?"
Gin's smile thinned. "He killed Renya."
Kenpachi's expression shifted slightly, his grin fading. Even Isshin and Aizen paused, eyes narrowing.
Renya Kurotsuki—Soul Society's prodigy, Sui-Fēng's apprentice, nearly captain-class in power—dead?
Kenpachi's eye twitched. "Hmph. Guess this one's yours, Captain."
No one interfered. They all understood—this wasn't a battle of duty anymore. It was revenge.
Sui-Fēng stared at Tōsen, voice low. "Suzumebachi… sting the enemy."
Her Zanpakutō manifested into its Shikai form—a golden gauntlet with a stinger blade attached to her middle finger, linked by a fine chain.
She vanished.
Flash Step.
Reappearing before Tōsen, she struck his abdomen.
Thud.
A small butterfly mark appeared where the blade pierced.
Tōsen swung his arm, but Sui-Fēng was already gone—behind him this time.
Second Strike.
Another butterfly mark.
The two marks glowed.
"Nigeki Kessatsu."
Tōsen's body trembled—then erupted. His spiritual form disintegrated from the point of contact, dissolving completely into reishi particles.
Only his shihakushō remained, fluttering to the ground.
Sui-Fēng deactivated her Shunkō and fell to her knees, staring at the empty space.
Her voice trembled. "Why… why was Renya killed? Why does everyone I care about leave me?"
Tears streamed down her face, unrestrained.
"I finally… loved him."
As the others watched in silence, Sui-Fēng's shoulders trembled. Her grief broke the composure of the feared Commander-in-Chief's protégé. Her knees gave way. She collapsed to the cold stone floor, whispering the same question again.
"Why?"
The air was still. Even Aizen's eyes narrowed slightly—calculating, but silent.
For that brief moment in the Seireitei, grief drowned out reason.
And above it all, the faint echo of thunder—Renya's Reiatsu—lingered, refusing to fade completely.