Meanwhile, as time passed, Hakuren Toshiro, formerly a mid-ranking noble and now a Seireitei fugitive, finally arrived at an extremely secluded area.
He looked at the Shinigami sent by the Tsunayashiro Clan to assist him, and a relaxed smile finally appeared on his originally tired face.
Heaven knows what effort he had expended to escape the pursuit of the Sixth Division.
Those guys mistakenly thought he had gone deep into East Rukongai, but that was not the case; after leaving traces in District 25, he hid along the original path.
He only dared to show himself after the Kucihki Clan, responsible for his pursuit, had left.
Finally, he could relax a bit. The damned Kucihki Clan, it was just a bit of mineral smuggling, yet they made such a big fuss to demand accountability.
Relying on their status as the head of the Five Great Noble Clans, they forcibly stripped him of his noble status and even attempted to imprison him in underground Prison…
Three thousand years!
He might not even live for three thousand years in this lifetime.
It was equivalent to a death sentence.
If he went in, he might never come out in his lifetime.
He had thought there was no way out for him, but unexpectedly, after being locked up in the Sixth Division, the Shinigami guarding him was actually from the Tsunayashiro Clan.
He knew his master would not abandon him, and naturally, he escaped.
He wasn't sure what happened to the Shinigami who released him, but he supposed he was probably dead. That was fine; the Tsunayashiro Clan had many pawns.
Of course… only among nobles.
If he could clear his name this time and return alive, perhaps with their help, he could regain his noble status.
As for a lackey, no one was more loyal than him.
He thought this, constantly envisioning a carefree life in the future.
Then.
Pfft.
The sound of a sharp blade entering flesh suddenly rang out.
The sudden pain, like a surging tide, instantly jolted him awake from his beautiful fantasy.
He widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief.
He lowered his gaze.
His chest was pierced through.
"Cough…"
A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. He stretched out his trembling hands, attempting to pull out the blade in front of him.
However, the person in front of him was one step faster.
Whoosh!
As a sudden gust of wind roared, a clear bloodstain appeared on his chest, soaking his clothes.
The bright red blood spread across his clothes, like a blooming flower.
The pain also became more pronounced as the injury worsened.
He fumbled forward with both hands twice, then asked in disbelieving confusion:
"Why?"
His voice was hoarse, as if rubbed with sandpaper. The joy and excitement in his heart completely dissipated with that single stab.
He didn't understand why the Tsunayashiro Clan would do this to him.
Clearly… he was quite loyal.
Clearly… he was saved.
Now he was killed again…
Was he being played with?
A myriad of questions instantly surged in his mind, like countless bees buzzing in his head.
However, the person in front of him only answered one:
"There is no why, Hakuren Toshiro."
"You deserve to die, that's all."
"Don't worry, from now on your name will resound throughout the entire Seireitei."
"As the first public Hollowfied Shinigami…"
"Heh…"
"I'm somewhat looking forward to Yamamoto Genryusai's expression when he learns of this."
In front of him, the laughter from the Tsunayashiro Clan was as grating as a venomous snake.
Hakuren Toshiro didn't quite hear it, no… he actually heard it, but he couldn't comprehend it.
Hollowfied Shinigami, who…
Me?
He looked down at his wound, feeling his life force rapidly draining away like sand in an hourglass.
Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain inside his body. This was not physical pain, but torment from the depths of his soul.
He gritted his teeth, feeling as if his soul was about to collapse, and involuntarily hunched over, letting out an inarticulate roar.
His spiritual pressure could no longer be suppressed and burst forth. At the same time, white bone armor rapidly grew on his face!
In just twenty seconds, it completely covered his entire face, making him look like a hideous monster, his eyes flickering with red light.
His height also soared from his original 1.8 meters to three meters, and his entire body's muscles turned pale and bulged like rocks.
Hakuren Toshiro felt his consciousness becoming increasingly blurry.
Vaguely, he heard some sound, and then.
In his remaining vision.
He saw the Tsunayashiro Clan member who had stabbed him quickly leave.
"Roar!"
His movements gradually became frantic as his consciousness faded. The immense spiritual pressure, like surging waves, blew away everything around him!
Flowers, plants, and trees were uprooted, and sand and dust flew everywhere.
The instinct of a beast made him want to destroy everything around him!
Thus, amidst this almost self-destructive frenzy, the Kucihki Clan's Shinigami rushed over.
Initially, they thought Hakuren Toshiro's spiritual pressure burst meant he had encountered some enemy.
But as time passed, that spiritual pressure became increasingly abnormal.
A terrifying conjecture subtly formed in their minds.
However, before the conjecture could be confirmed, the conclusion was already set.
The white monster reflected in their eyes was so dazzling; the air current generated by a single punch could even form a ten-meter-deep trench!
The spiritual pressure diffused in the air was as sticky as glue, making it difficult for even these elites of the Kucihki Clan to breathe.
They drew their Zanpakuto and quickly unleashed their spiritual pressure, and their condition gradually improved.
Several spiritual pressures collided.
The monster discovered them.
Immediately.
Boom!
The surrounding ground instantly shattered as the monster charged forward, its movements openly savage, as if to blast these Shinigami into dust!
Until the moment before it charged, the Shinigami were still wondering…
Was it… really Hakuren Toshiro?
"Damn it!"
Gritting his teeth, a Shinigami suddenly snapped back to his senses. He swiftly unleashed a sword pressure, attempting to cleave the Menos Grande, suspected to be Hakuren Toshiro, in half.
Yes, a Menos Grande. Hakuren Toshiro in this form was purely an Adjuchas.
Although they didn't understand what had happened during their pursuit of him, slaying a Menos Grande was undoubtedly the duty of a Shinigami.
However, it was only after the sword pressure was unleashed that they tragically discovered.
The sword pressure, condensed with all their might, couldn't even break its Hierro!
This was impossible!
An Adjuchas shouldn't be this strong!
As private soldiers of the Kucihki Clan, despite their small numbers, they were all elites without exception.
Each of them had the strength to single-handedly slay an Adjuchas.
However, the one before them…
Just as they were despairing over their predicament.
Whoosh!
A sudden, sharp whooshing sound erupted beside their ears.
The Shinigami had not yet had time to react.
A flash of white cloth suddenly appeared in their vision.
That was the appearance of a haori.
The next second.
Bang.
Tsugikuni Yoriichi appeared before everyone, stepping on the ground.
The blade he held gleamed sharply, and the cold edge was gently swung with a breath.
Instantly.
Swish!
Like a knife cutting through butter,
The tough bone armor was easily severed, along with the shoulder, cleanly cut off at the root, revealing clearly defined muscles and bones. Blood sprayed into the air like an eerie rose!
…
At the same time.
On the completely opposite side of this location.
Zaraki Kenpachi's rough, somewhat irritable voice suddenly rang out:
"Yachiru, are you sure you haven't pointed us in the wrong direction?"
"Why do I feel like we're getting further and further off track?"