The so-called "existing people" are easy to understand: they're figures like Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, Tsunayashiro Tokinada, or even Yoshio and Aizen. After transforming into their forms, Beelzebub can use their abilities.
The "non-existent person," on the other hand, is an identity fabricated by Beelzebub himself. He can create a false persona and then make that persona real. For example, he could create out of thin air the identity of "Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's son," then impersonate that person and gain the abilities that identity should possess. Once the setup succeeds, others will firmly believe that he truly is Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's son.
The success of the disguise depends on how complete the setup is. If he simply claims, "I'm Yamamoto's son," no one will believe him. But if he constructs a past—experiences, abilities, temperament, social circle, etc.—that all fit the persona he's impersonating, then the success rate of the impersonation increases dramatically.
Moreover, the disguise must be logically consistent. He can't simply pretend to be the captain of the 14th Division, because the Gotei 13 has never had a 14th Division. If he wanted to create a 14th Division, that would cause too many changes elsewhere in the world setting, so that path is blocked as well.
In short, there are many limitations on choosing to impersonate someone who doesn't exist, so Beelzebub generally won't use this ability. Pretending to be someone who already exists is usually enough.
However, what Yoshio was actually most interested in was precisely the ability to impersonate a non-existent person. He felt that there might be some way to exploit it.
Although he doesn't possess this ability now, once he recovers all the evil nodes, he will naturally obtain all of their abilities. In the end, Beelzebub's powers will still end up in his hands. Therefore, Yoshio could already begin making arrangements in this direction.
He could first create a fictitious "god" in advance, and then, after completing the fusion, "usurp the divine position" and become this god he had pre-written into reality.
So, it's more accurate to call this a "worldbuilding setup" rather than a simple "disguise." It's like making a character you created in a novel come to life, except that the character is completely fictional, so you have to personally act it out.
In short, this virtual deity might be the key to surpassing the Soul King.
As he had said before, surpassing the Soul King is not impossible. Even the figures already standing at the top of the Three Realms have the potential to surpass him—not to mention himself.
Of course, having potential is one thing; whether that potential can be realized is another.
After designing the fusion ritual and raising the requirements for the fusion of the three bodies, Yoshio's confidence in surpassing the Soul King only grew. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but praise Beelzebub in his heart.
That guy is truly ruthless.
Tsunayashiro Tokinada had schemed for so many years and was finally about to steal the Ōken, but Beelzebub appeared at the critical moment and intercepted it.
Well, it wouldn't exactly be accurate to call it "stealing." Others might not understand what really happened, but Yoshio did.
At the crucial moment when Beelzebub and Tsunayashiro were fighting over the Ōken, this so-called "strongest defense" actually cracked. Tokinada got two-thirds of the key, and Beelzebub only one-third. Neither side had the strength to seize the piece in the other's hands, so they could only cut their losses and retreat.
Perhaps it was because this Ōken was a different type. The Ōken made from Division Zero's hair is an external tool and thus sturdier. But this key was a "sacrifice of power," and structurally much weaker. The power struggle between the two was too fierce, and it was split apart on the spot.
Even so, Tsunayashiro Tokinada's efforts weren't for nothing. However, having two-thirds of the Ōken does not mean he possesses two-thirds of its power. Once the key's integrity is damaged, the Soul King's power contained within is drastically reduced. Unless someone can gather and reassemble both fragments, neither side can bring out its full effect.
Of course, this "not too strong" is only in comparison to the original complete Ōken. In reality, even after being greatly weakened, the key can still increase a person's strength by several times.
Naturally, neither Yoshio nor Aizen had much interest in this Ōken itself.
Yoshio intervened mainly because he didn't want to absorb too much of the Soul King's power. This was similar to how many top experts in cultivation novels seek "emptiness through reduction." If you accept too much of the other party's power, you become a fish in their pond and may even be forced to do things for them.
The Soul King can simply leave when the time comes, but he might have to take the Soul King's place and sit trapped inside that crystal for a million or two million years. Who could stand something like that?
Aizen's reasoning was similar. His goal is also to fuse with an Ōken, but the key he wants must be one he creates himself. He has already mastered the arts and procedure of forging an Ōken.
Even so, the fact that a single Ōken can transform a top-tier Shinigami into a transcendent existence on the level of the Royal Guard makes it extremely valuable. Beelzebub is one thing—he's their subordinate, so they can just take what he has—but the Ōken in Tsunayashiro Tokinada's hands would naturally also be coveted by them.
Yoshio thought for a moment. Although he himself no longer needed an Ōken, there were still people in Wings of the World who did.
With that thought, he parted ways with Aizen, each returning to their respective squads.
Although Tsunayashiro Tokinada had no intention of actually storming the Soul King's Palace, the Gotei 13 could only assume the worst in their defensive planning. Their duty is to protect the "one king and five great noble houses."
The loss of the Ōken is a matter of utmost importance, no less grave than the distortion of Karakura Town which could lead to the destruction of the Three Realms.
The previously somewhat lax Gotei 13 suddenly entered a state of full martial law. Several squads of Shinigami were dispatched to the Human World, diligently searching for Tsunayashiro Tokinada's whereabouts. Even Yamamoto was mobilized once more.
It had to be said: the Captain-Commander was far too naive in some respects.
Although the key was stolen while he was away, is the Ōken really the only thing of value in the First Division's barracks? Why assume that once the thief steals the Ōken, he won't come back for anything else?
Although, in reality, Tsunayashiro truly had no intention of coming back, Yoshio still couldn't help but be speechless toward Central 46's decision.
Fortunately, his identity as a Gotei 13 captain was only a disguise. Otherwise, if he really had such a group of fools above him in the chain of command, he'd die of fury.
On patrol, Yoshio's gaze swept across the distant horizon—and happened to catch a glimpse of the area on the other side of Karakura where Tsunayashiro Tokinada was active.
…
"As expected, even incomplete power is not so easy to assimilate."
Staring at the Ōken in his hand, Tsunayashiro Tokinada had been doing his utmost to corrupt it with the power of "Tyrant Duke," but after corrupting about half, he could no longer make any progress.
After fusing with the evil node, Tsunayashiro Tokinada had obtained the ability called Tyrant Duke. Its essence is "to imbue things that come into contact with him with his own properties," or "to allow the properties of things that come into contact with him to permeate him."
The reason he had previously drawn a large number of Hollows into the Human World was precisely because he wanted to use them. Through direct contact with Hollows, he imbued himself with Hollow properties, causing the Shinigami power in his body to be corrupted and transformed into Hollow power.
He is like a Hollow wearing a Shinigami's skin, somewhat similar to Dark Rukia, only without all the messy variables.
Furthermore, even after obtaining Hollow powers, he could still use Shinigami abilities. That was why, during his battle with Hitsugaya, he had been able to use various basic Shinigami and Hollow techniques simultaneously, even integrating them together.
As a contemporary of Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō, Tsunayashiro Tokinada already possessed extremely high seniority, and as a descendant of one of the five great noble clans, his potential spiritual pressure was definitely not something that should have been confined to a lowly on paper. But the rigid aristocratic system prioritizes bloodline above all: no matter how strong a branch family's offspring might be, they are still just the main family's servants.
After leaving the Tsunayashiro clan, Tokinada was finally able to unleash his true spiritual pressure. He might not be as strong as Shunsui, but he was definitely stronger than half of the current Gotei 13 captains.
Having already absorbed a vast amount of spiritual pressure from Hollows, Tsunayashiro Tokinada had undergone a complete transformation.
Even so, when he tried to use his Hollow power to erode the Ōken, he could only manage to corrupt half of its mass with all his strength. That's only one-third of a complete Ōken.
Tokinada frowned slightly, then relaxed his brow.
Forget it, there was no need to rush.
Tsunayashiro Tokinada separated the corrupted and uncorrupted halves of his two-thirds once more, setting aside the piece that had been tainted by his Hollow power and picking up the "normal" fragment as he walked toward Hikone Ubuginu.
Hikone Ubuginu was a product created by fusing a large number of Shinigami and Hollow souls. By repeatedly pushing this amalgamated power to its limits and running countless experiments, Tokinada had finally grasped the balance point and created Hikone Ubuginu.
Of course, this Hikone couldn't compare to the original canon's Spirit King candidate Hikone. The quality of its materials was far inferior. The original Hikone was created from components superior even to the likes of Gerard. However, that product's manufacturing technique was extremely crude, essentially just crudely stacking powers together.
The current Hikone Ubuginu, in contrast, is composed solely of Shinigami and Hollow souls, with no fragments of the Soul King. Instead, his body contains quite a number of Hollow bait artifacts crafted by Tokinada himself.
In other words, Hikone Ubuginu is essentially a gigantic piece of Hollow bait in humanoid form.
If his earlier plans failed to proceed smoothly, Tokinada's final option would be to use this "bait." It was just that…
It still wasn't enough.
Not nearly enough.
"Lord Tokinada?"
Seeing Tsunayashiro Tokinada approach, Hikone Ubuginu called out excitedly, "Do you…have another mission for me?"
"No, that's not it." Tokinada smiled. "I'm here to make you stronger, so you can serve me better."
"Really?!" Hikone's eyes widened, his face full of anticipation.
Tokinada then handed the remaining, uncorrupted Ōken fragment to Hikone Ubuginu, his tone light and almost playful. "After you fuse with it, try and see how strong you can become."
"Yes, my lord!"
As he watched Hikone Ubuginu begin to merge with the Ōken, Tsunayashiro Tokinada's expression gradually darkened. He genuinely didn't know whether what he was doing was right or wrong—but that fake who had impersonated him had thoroughly ruined his original plan.
Tokinada knew that his theft of the Ōken would trigger a state of martial law across the Gotei 13, but he believed that if he could devour the complete Ōken, he would gain power enough to suppress the entire Gotei 13. Then he could calmly proceed with the first two steps of his plan: corrupt all those who possessed the power of light, then devour them.
Tokinada believed that if he could devour everyone who held the power of light, then even the Gotei 13 would no longer pose any threat to him.
However, because of that man's interference, the Ōken had been broken.
Although he'd claimed to have obtained two-thirds, what he actually had, compared to the power of a complete Ōken, probably wasn't even half.
Everything in this world has a complete form; to restore its full power, he would have to seize the missing third.
But he didn't even know who the other party was. How was he supposed to rob them?
And so, he handed one piece of Ōken to Hikone.
Since there was no hope of surpassing Death itself for the time being, it made little difference whether he personally held one more or one less fragment. In that case… he might as well take the risk and see just how far this bait could go.
Thinking of this, Tsunayashiro Tokinada's already gloomy face grew even darker. He began a demonic ritual, pressing his hand to Hikone's body. In an instant, an unusual spiritual pressure erupted.
They were no longer in the Human World. After completing their transformation and acquiring full Hollow abilities, they had relocated to Hueco Mundo and built a small underground base there, almost impossible to detect.
Now, as Tokinada unsealed the Hollow bait properties within Hikone, a strange power suddenly manifested in the sky above.
Boom—
It was like an earthquake; the entire region began to tremble. Tsunayashiro Tokinada, on full alert, slowly walked outside.
He rose from the underground base to the surface and immediately saw a thick mass of dark cloud drifting over. The cloud was impossibly dense, and as it reached directly above him, it condensed and shrank, finally forming an immense field of darkness.
That darkness towered like a mountain and, as it descended, radiated a suffocating sense of hunger. Standing before this colossal monster, Tsunayashiro Tokinada felt as though he could be devoured at any moment.
"Hollow King, it is an honor to meet you. I believe… we can have a talk."
Looking up at the monster before him, Tsunayashiro Tokinada spoke softly. Of course he knew about the events of the Three Realms and the birth of a new king in Hueco Mundo. That king had led a massive invasion of the Soul Society, forcing even the Royal Guard to descend and clean up the mess for the Gotei 13. In the end, Soul Society suffered heavy casualties, was nearly annihilated, and only then managed to severely wound the enemy. After returning to Hueco Mundo, that king had apparently been ambushed by unknown entities and was ultimately split apart.
Tokinada's backup plan was to use the power of the Hollow King.
Even in a fragmented state, the Hollow King still possessed terrifying power.
As mentioned earlier, Hikone is a gigantic Hollow bait. If Tsunayashiro hadn't placed a Kidō seal on him at the time of creation, Hikone would have constantly attracted Vasto Lorde-class Hollows. Now that he possessed an Ōken fragment, his lure to Hollows was only that much greater.
Tsunayashiro Tokinada believed that in this state, even the Hollow King would be unable to resist being drawn in by Hikone Ubuginu.
Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—it actually happened.
With the Hollow King personally drawn here, the other attracted Hollows didn't dare approach, which conveniently gave him a chance to negotiate.
Tokinada could tell at a glance that the Hollow King was grievously wounded. Although he still held overwhelming strength, he was nowhere near his peak.
"Talk? You, a life as insignificant as an ant, dare to talk to me?"
The Hollow King's voice was full of ridicule, booming like thunder in Tsunayashiro Tokinada's ears.
"A being as great as you certainly doesn't need to talk to me, so… please allow me to phrase it another way." Tokinada raised his head, looking up at the kinglike colossus looming like a mountain. "A deal, or rather… a request."
Seemingly satisfied by Tsunayashiro Tokinada's attitude, the Hollow King replied calmly, "A Hollow like you is rare even in Hueco Mundo. Very well. Speak."
"Thank you for your generosity." Tokinada bowed slightly. "I know you came for Hikone. He is also the tonic I prepared for you."
"However, in return for offering this tonic, I would like to ask for a favor."
Tokinada was certain the Hollow King would agree, because he could sense that the king was truly weakened. Although the Hollow King was still stronger than himself, he wouldn't be able to kill Tokinada if Tokinada fought desperately. If a battle really broke out, then even if Tokinada died, the Hollow King would only be further injured and might not even be able to devour Hikone in the end.
The Hollow King clearly possessed very advanced intellect. Why would he do something so thankless?
As expected, the Hollow King slowly said, "Speak."
"I know that in the past, you attacked the Soul Society and were thwarted by the Gotei 13. My request concerns them."
"I hope that you can lure them to somewhere outside the Human World, Hueco Mundo, Seireitei, and Rukongai," Tsunayashiro Tokinada said softly. "After that, I will personally present Hikone to you."
In an instant, a beam of light shot down from above and landed on Tokinada's forehead. The Hollow King's massive form vanished, leaving only his voice echoing faintly.
"I will use this power to monitor you. When you are ready, simply trigger it with your spiritual pressure."
"…"
Watching the Hollow King disappear, Tsunayashiro Tokinada finally let out a long breath and relaxed his tense body. Fortunately, the Hollow King truly was a being of another level altogether, with a power that exerted overwhelming restraint over Hikone. In theory, if ordinary Hollows encountered a super Hollow like Hikone, they would devour him without hesitation. Yet the Hollow King remained in perfect control of his desires.
In other words, even though he had ascended to Hollow King by pushing his desires to the extreme, after becoming king he still possessed the will to control the bottomless abyss of hunger in his heart.
People often say that human desire is like a boulder rolling down a mountain—once it starts, it can never be stopped. But in reality, the faster you roll, the sooner you reach the bottom; and there, perhaps, is another kind of end.
Tokinada quickly returned to the underground base and laid out a Kidō barrier to once again seal Hikone's spiritual pressure, lest a large number of Vasto Lorde be drawn in. That still wasn't enough; they also had to relocate the base entirely.
…
Ten days later, Yoshio led the 10th Division Shinigami to Karakura Town to relieve Hitsugaya's squad.
However, he had barely arrived in the Human World when a powerful spiritual pressure flared from the other side of Karakura.
Yoshio's expression darkened. "Rangiku, you guard this area. I'll go check it out."
Rangiku had also felt that malevolent spiritual pressure and immediately went on alert. She didn't recklessly follow; instead she gathered the other Shinigami and prepared for battle.
Sure enough, in the next instant, countless Garganta opened in the sky.
"How can this be?" Rangiku couldn't help exclaiming, "The captains already set a barrier over Karakura Town. Why are so many Hollows appearing again?"
No matter the reason, they were definitely going to be tied down here.
By this time, Yoshio had already reached the outskirts of Karakura. Ironically, this was the very place where Gabriel and Mayuri Kurotsuchi had fought in the past, and now, a few years later, two other powerful beings had come here to wage war.
When Tokinada saw Yoshio appear, he revealed a wicked smile. "You've finally come, Yoshio Kamado."
After Yoshio landed, he locked eyes with this Tyrant Duke and asked quietly, "Looks like you were waiting specifically for me. Do we have some kind of grudge?"
"A grudge? Of course we have a grudge." Tsunayashiro Tokinada's smile widened, but in the next moment, his gaze twisted with madness and malice. "I'd like nothing more than to throw you into Purgatory and let you suffer for millions of years."
Tsunayashiro Tokinada was already mentally broken. He didn't care about his own life—otherwise he wouldn't have used the Enrakyōten, which erodes the soul, so casually in the original history.
But after being imprisoned in the Prison of Solitude by Yoshio, his already shattered psyche twisted even further.
Anyone who spent that many years in a place like that would not remain sane, forced to endure endless solitude that seemed to stretch across tens or hundreds of thousands of years.
True loneliness is not having no one by your side, but having all the joys and sorrows of the world unfold before your eyes while you remain completely detached, unable to participate, unable to touch it.
If it were just one or two years… even ten or a hundred years… Tsunayashiro Tokinada could still have endured it.
But that wasn't "one hundred years of solitude." Within the warped spacetime of the Prison of Solitude, he had no idea how many actual years had passed.
That loneliness drove him mad.
It filled him with the urge to destroy everything.
After escaping from the Prison of Solitude, he fused with the evil node. His innate malice purified the evil node, and the evil node in turn further amplified his malice.
Thus, Tsunayashiro Tokinada had lost his mind completely.
The first step of his plan was to distort Karakura Town, because the distortion of Karakura would trigger a chain reaction that spread across all parts of the Three Realms, eventually causing the collapse of the world.
Yes, he wanted to destroy this world. Not only the world, but all beings living within it.
Among those beings, Yoshio Kamado was the most special one.
It was Yoshio Kamado who had thrown him into the Prison of Solitude. And now, he finally had the chance to settle this account.
After so much preparation, after absorbing so many Hollows, after fusing Shinigami powers with Hollow powers, and merging with one-third of the Ōken, Tsunayashiro Tokinada believed that his current power far surpassed Yoshio Kamado's.
Even if Yoshio Kamado was strong, he was still too young.
From his previous fight with Hitsugaya Tōshirō, Tokinada had already formed a rough idea of Yoshio Kamado's combat strength. As fellow young captains, Yoshio was stronger than Hitsugaya—but not by all that much.
Tokinada's words seemed to spark a realization in Yoshio. His expression hardened. "…Tsunayashiro Tokinada?!"
"?"
Tokinada was momentarily startled, then burst into loud laughter. "You actually guessed it. As expected of you. Yes, I'm Tsunayashiro Tokinada. How did you figure it out?"
"You were the director of the Visuals Department surveillance, so you know the Soul Society's internal workings very well, and you would also be very clear on the location of the Ōken." Yoshio's gaze grew heavy. "We should have thought of you earlier. But… how did you escape from the Prison of Solitude?"
"Of course, a great existence saved me." Tsunayashiro Tokinada said softly. "And thus, I now bear the destiny to destroy this world."
"I think you've gone mad," Yoshio said coldly. "Did you call me out here just to take revenge? Too bad—I have no interest in a one-on-one with you."
"Are you talking about the other Gotei 13 captains?" Tsunayashiro Tokinada chuckled. "Interesting. Did you think I'd come unprepared? Yoshio Kamado, I've paid a very heavy price to settle my old grudge with you alone."
"?!"
Yoshio's pupils shrank, his expression shifting. "What did you do to Seireitei?"
"I'm afraid…" Tsunayashiro narrowed his bloody eyes. "It won't be anything good."
"…"
Yoshio did not answer. He just turned around abruptly, about to leave Tokinada and rush back to the Soul Society.
"You think you can run?"
With a sharp shout, Tsunayashiro Tokinada appeared before Yoshio in the next instant. His movement, a fusion of Shunpo and Sonído, was far faster than Shunpo alone.
The purple greatsword had already materialized in his hand, descending in a heavy arc toward Yoshio.
Yoshio also drew his blade with lightning speed, parrying Tokinada's slash.
But Tokinada's brute strength was overwhelming. Yoshio was sent crashing into the ground.
"This is the difference between our power now!" Tokinada raised his greatsword once more. A Cero condensed on the blade's tip, then erupted.
Boom!
"Limit of the thousands hands, respectful hands, unable to touch the darkness. Shooting hands unable to reflect the blue sky. The road that basks in light, the wind that ignited the embers, time that gathers when both are together, there is no need to be hesitant, obey my orders. Light bullets, eight bodies, nine items, book of heaven, diseased treasure, great wheel, grey fortress tower. Aim far away, scatter brightly and cleanly when fired.Light-bullet, eight bodies, nine lines, heavenly sutra, swift treasure, great wheel, grey turret—draw the bow afar, vanish in a radiant flash. Hadō #91. Senju Kōten Taihō !"
"Black Cero!"
As Tsunayashiro Tokinada chanted, the Cero at the swordtip split into dozens of Cero-bullets, each carrying unimaginable destructive force. The power of Senjū Kōten Taihō is already no less than a Gran Rey Cero; combined with a black Cero, its might is raised to a whole new tier. Dozens of these blasts fired at once—this single technique alone was enough to leave any captain utterly helpless.
However, Yoshio simply raised his hand. In the next instant, he deployed Mirror Reflection.
In the past, Mirror Reflection would only form a CD-sized mirror-surface at his fingertips to defend and deflect enemy attacks. This time, however, the mirror Yoshio created was more than ten times larger.
As Mirror Reflection activated, the storm of Cero was instantly blocked in front of him. Even the few blasts that missed the mirror's surface had already deviated in angle, doomed never to hit him.
Rumble—
A massive explosion erupted around Yoshio. Yet, amidst the blinding bombardment of spirit particles, more than a dozen Ceros were reflected by the mirror, arcing back toward Tsunayashiro Tokinada.
Tokinada's pupils contracted sharply. He swept his greatsword in a wide arc, unleashing a jet-black blade of energy that slashed into the oncoming reflected Ceros and detonated them in mid-air.
Rumble—
Massive explosions flashed almost simultaneously on the ground and in the sky. Yoshio shot upward from the blast, squinting as he looked toward Tsunayashiro Tokinada.
When the smoke and dust cleared, Tsunayashiro Tokinada's figure had vanished.
Yoshio raised his sword guardingly—and sure enough, in the next instant, Tsunayashiro Tokinada appeared right in front of him.
Compared to Yoshio, who was only slightly roughed up, Tokinada's condition looked far more disheveled. But with his terrifying regeneration, he restored himself to perfection in just a few seconds.
"I originally thought you were only good at Shunpo and Kidō, but I didn't expect your swordsmanship to be this monstrous." As the two clashed at close range, Tokinada couldn't help but feel a stab of shock at Yoshio's Zanjutsu and Hakuda.
"Don't underestimate a Gotei 13 captain," Yoshio answered coolly. "Did you think you'd become my match just because you got stronger? You're the naive one."
Naturally, he would not reveal his full power. If he truly went all out—no need to even mention all his soul abilities—if he just fought using transcendental-level Reiatsu alone, Tsunayashiro Tokinada probably wouldn't be able to withstand more than five moves.
For now, he was only fighting at a level befitting his nominal identity as the 10th Division's captain.
Tsunayashiro Tokinada had already fused with 99% of the evil node; he was only a single step away from full integration. Yoshio couldn't let this battle end too quickly. He had to help Tokinada complete that very last step.
Besides, the Gotei 13 would definitely conduct an internal review after this incident—this was not the time for him to expose his own secrets.
"I think you're too naive, Yoshio Kamado!" Tokinada shouted madly. "Your Zanpakutō's ability no longer works on me! And I haven't even used my Bankai yet!"
"?!"
Yoshio feigned shock. Tokinada deliberately widened the distance between them and shouted:
"Bankai—
Tyrant of the End!"
A frenzied light burst in Tsunayashiro Tokinada's eyes. The great purple blade in his hand transformed at that instant.
An extremely malevolent spiritual pressure erupted from the sword, and an indescribable powerful force began to surge around him. As that power exploded outward, the purple greatsword shrank, its size reduced to half of what it had been. But its aura became even more restrained and lethal.
That blade seemed capable of destroying everything it touched.
Tokinada swung it in a single arc. A titanic wave of violet light roared straight toward Yoshio. Calmly, Yoshio once again cast Mirror Reflection.
This time, however, Mirror Reflection failed.
The power in that purple wave was so great that it seemed capable of cleaving apart even the mirror surface itself. After being briefly blocked and slightly reflected, the main body of the attack immediately overwhelmed the reflected beam; the mirror's surface began to crack under the pressure.
Seeing this, Yoshio immediately abandoned Mirror Reflection and used Shunpo to disappear from sight.
"This power…truly is wonderful. But it's still not enough!"
After that little test, Tsunayashiro Tokinada threw his head back and laughed. "Not enough. Not enough! The power still isn't enough!"
He craved even greater power.
"Erode everything—Tyrant!"
With another roar, Tokinada's spiritual pressure erupted like a volcano. Previously, only the purple greatsword had changed; now even his body began to transform.
He actually activated Resurrección after unleashing Bankai.
At this moment, the spiritual pressure pouring off Tsunayashiro Tokinada reached a terrifying level. Purple Reiatsu seemed to be tearing the heavens and earth apart. The mere release of his spiritual pressure caused matter in the surroundings to begin to disintegrate.
A purple exoskeletal structure grew from Tsunayashiro's body, spreading across his skin like some kind of armor. Black lines crisscrossed the purple plates like circuitry. His head was encased, his jaw wrenched aside, baring a monstrous visage beneath the plated helm. The sword in his hand vanished, flowing instead into a long, prehensile tail that lashed behind him.
"Bankai and… Resurrección…" Yoshio pretended to be shocked, his expression growing heavier.
Simultaneously releasing a Zanpakutō's Bankai and a Hollow's Resurrección was not something just anyone could do. Even the Visored would at most Hollowfy while in Shikai. Compared to them, Tsunayashiro Tokinada had improved in every aspect.
From Shikai to Bankai, from Mask to full Resurrección—he had successfully fused all of it into a single complete form.
This was something he had only achieved after absorbing the Ōken fragment. Without it, he could at most use Bankai or Resurrección separately, but never fuse the two.
At this moment, Tsunayashiro Tokinada felt confident he could confront any Gotei 13 captain head-on. Even if Yamamoto Genryūsai himself came, he wouldn't be afraid.
Because—
He was that strong now.
He now stood on a completely different level from his previous self.
This was also why he'd dared to face the Hollow King with a certain degree of confidence.
All because he possessed power enough to back it up.
And the price for this power manifesting so arrogantly in the world…
"Yoshio Kamado! You are the sacrifice that will prove my power!"
He roared again, and the shockwave of the roar itself became tangible, ripping open the ground in front of him.
Yoshio hastily dodged, but Tsunayashiro Tokinada was much faster. Facing Tokinada in his current state, unless Yoshio used his true strength, he was indeed absolutely no match.
However—
He had stayed precisely because he also had his own trump card.
An icy spiritual pressure suddenly spread through the area. The instant Tsunayashiro Tokinada appeared behind Yoshio, his body froze solid.
Hyōrinmaru's power had arrived.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya, now in his full adult form, stepped out not far away. In order to unleash Hyōrinmaru's full power, his body had been forced to transform into a form capable of bearing it.
This was his true Bankai form, the state he was originally meant to reach only in the Thousand-Year Blood War. But thanks to Yoshio's guidance, his own bitter training, and repeated battles with the Hollow King and Tsunayashiro Tokinada, Hitsugaya Tōshirō had managed to manifest this form ahead of time.
He had actually been able to use this state during his previous duel with Tsunayashiro, but the opportunity hadn't presented itself then.
With Hyōrinmaru fully unleashed, Tōshirō's adult form multiplied his strength several times over. He instantly froze Tsunayashiro Tokinada in place.
Yoshio let out a long breath and flashed over to stand beside Hitsugaya.
"Good thing you were here. Dealing with this guy alone would've been pretty troublesome."
"This guy really is a monster. I might not be able to keep him frozen for long," Hitsugaya said in a low voice.
"You're right about that."
Almost as soon as Hitsugaya spoke, the frozen Tsunayashiro Tokinada shattered the ice that bound him.
"You thought I'd be sealed in ice so easily?!"
The power Tsunayashiro Tokinada radiated corrupted the ice itself, turning it to fragments that crumbled away into purple mist. Even though he'd broken free, Tokinada still frowned slightly in confusion.
"I thought you'd already returned to the Soul Society."
Hitsugaya was disappointed but not surprised that he couldn't hold Tokinada longer. "Idiot. Haven't you seen this trick before? This is the second time you've fallen for it."
"!"
Tokinada's pupils shrank. He immediately understood.
An ice clone.
Last time, Tsunayashiro Tokinada had wanted to kill Hitsugaya in a single surprise strike, but Hitsugaya had fooled him with an ice clone. And now, he'd fallen for it again.
The Hitsugaya who had just stepped through the Senkaimon earlier had been nothing more than a duplicate. The real Hitsugaya had never left.
"To deal with a cunning snake like you, we can only resort to cunning of our own," Yoshio said coolly.
"Ha… hahahaha!!!"
At that moment, Tsunayashiro Tokinada suddenly threw his head back in maniacal laughter.
"Naive. You're far too naive!"
He raised a hand and pressed it to his own forehead, laughing hysterically. "You think two of you are enough to fight me? Honestly—"
His crimson Hollow eyes gleamed, and his voice deepened, rolling out like an army of ten thousand thundering past.
"—your naiveté almost makes me want to cry with laughter!"
…