"You... shut up!" Komamura's fury finally broke through its limit.
It wasn't just empathy for what happened to Tosen… it was also towering rage at the centuries of injustice and slander his own clan had endured.
Old grievances and new hatred intertwined, causing him to completely lose his composure.
He grabbed Tokinada, who had just straightened up, by the collar with one hand, and clenched his other fist, ready to bring it down hard.
Facing this imminent threat of death, Tokinada showed no fear. Instead, he laughed out loud.
He even slightly raised his chin, bringing his handsome face closer to Komamura's fist, his tone carrying a malicious encouragement. "Go ahead, hit me. Come on, hit me right here, as hard as you can."
"But, before you swing that fist, you'd better think carefully. Assaulting a noble is a serious crime in the Soul Society. And assaulting a member of the Tsunayashiro Clan, the head of the Five Great Noble Families? That's not just about you anymore."
Tokinada laughed freely. "You will be arrested on charges like 'assaulting a member of the Five Great Noble Families' and 'intent to rebel'. Waiting for you will be the harshest judgment of the Central 46. And your clansmen, those who struggle to survive in the Rukongai, who already live such hard lives..."
"They will be implicated because of your crime. At the very least, they'll face further oppression and expulsion. At worst... they might be collectively labeled as 'dangerous outliers' and then, like trash, be completely 'disposed of'. And you, in the deepest, darkest part of the underground prison, listening to news of your clan's annihilation, will spend a long, despairing remainder of your life."
Komamura's body went rigid. The raised fist seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.
He could disregard his own life or death, but his clan... those who, like him, had animal features, who struggled to survive on the fringes of the Rukongai, who carefully hid themselves yet still yearned for a 'home'...
They had already borne too many false charges and lived hard enough lives.
Would he really, because of his momentary anger, drag them into an abyss of eternal suffering?
Tokinada clearly sensed this hesitation. The moment Komamura's fist relaxed slightly...
Shing!
A clear, sharp blade sound rang out. Tokinada's Zanpakuto, which had remained sheathed until now, shot out like a venomous snake from its hole.
A flash of light, too fast for the eye to follow.
Squelch!
A spray of blood blossomed on Komamura's chest. He grunted, the immense force causing him to involuntarily release his grip on the other's collar. He staggered back several steps, a searing pain in his chest as blood quickly stained his Shihakusho.
"Komamura!" Tosen, still on the ground, heard the sound and shouted anxiously.
Komamura endured the pain and steadied himself, glaring at Tokinada. His Reiatsu began to surge, and his Zanpakuto, Tenken, hummed lowly, ready to be released in retaliation.
"Don't move," Tokinada leisurely flicked the blood drops off his blade's tip, his tone carrying a mocking warning. "You saw how the Central 46's guards treated me just now. If I shout 'Assassin attacking a noble' right now..."
He pointed at the nearby wall of the Central 46. "Guess who the guards swarming out and the Onmitsukido rushing over will believe? Will they listen to your explanation as the 'attacker', or will they unhesitatingly cut you down on the spot or throw you into the Maggot's Nest?"
"Third Seat of the 7th Division, Komamura Sajin, attacking a member of the Tsunayashiro Clan. Clear evidence, caught red-handed. Do you think you can escape this charge? Can your clansmen escape it?"
Komamura's movement froze again.
He was now completely disillusioned with the Central 46, so he didn't doubt Tokinada's words at all.
In that moment of hesitation, Tokinada moved.
He didn't use his blade again. Instead, he closed in like a phantom. Fists, feet, elbows, knees... became a series of afterimages, accompanied by sharp whistling sounds, raining down on Komamura like a storm.
Thud! Thump! Smack! Crack!
The dull sounds of impact, the faint crack of bones shifting, and suppressed groans echoed continuously.
Komamura gritted his teeth, relying on the Wolfman Clan's tough physique to endure, but he didn't fight back.
Each attack brought intense pain, but what hurt more was the powerlessness and humiliation in his heart.
"Stop it! Stop it!" Tosen, hearing the sounds, felt his heart wrench. He struggled to get up but aggravated his injuries, coughing up blood.
He screamed towards Tokinada with all his remaining strength. "If you want to kill someone, kill me! Leave Komamura out of this! This all started because of me! Kill me!"
"Tosen! Don't beg him!" Komamura spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, roaring between the storm of blows. "Can nobles really do whatever they want?"
Tsunayashiro Tokinada laughed. "Sorry, but nobles really can do whatever they want!"
"Really? I don't believe that."
This calm, slightly playful voice, like a pebble tossed into stagnant water, instantly shattered the solidified despair in the maple grove.
From the direction of the voice, the maple shadows stirred slightly. Three figures slowly materialized, as if condensing from the air itself.
The leader was Setsuna. His gaze swept over the disheveled Komamura and Tosen, finally settling on Tokinada's face, which moments ago had been filled with smug control but now suddenly froze.
Yoruichi stood beside Setsuna, arms crossed, undisguised disgust flickering in her eyes.
Aizen pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses calm and unreadable.
"Captain Chiaki!" Komamura struggled to lift his head, hope blazing in his eyes.
He had heard of Chiaki's glorious deeds. Those deeds had once seemed unattainable, but at this moment, they became the most solid pillar of light in the darkness.
Tokinada's pupils contracted slightly.
He had clearly also heard the name 'Chiaki Setsuna' and the associated, terrifying battle records and manner of conduct.
But he was, after all, a member of the Tsunayashiro Clan. The arrogance ingrained from long immersion at the pinnacle of power, and the common sense of a noble, quickly suppressed his initial shock, replacing it with a tough facade masking inner weakness.
"Chiaki Setsuna, I've heard of you," He straightened up, trying hard to maintain noble decorum, his voice carrying a warning. "I advise you not to meddle in other people's business. As a Captain of the Gotei 13, you should understand the consequences of interfering in noble internal affairs, especially those involving the Five Great Noble Families. Moreover..."
He looked around, emphasizing, "This is the core area of the Seireitei, right in front of the Central 46. There's no Menos Grande here to serve as your blade. If you dare lay a hand on me here, it would be a public trampling of the Soul Society's laws, a provocation against noble authority and the dignity of the Central 46! At that point, even the Gotei 13 would absolutely not tolerate your actions!"
Hearing this, Setsuna smiled and said, "You're scared?"