Before Isshin's words could fully land, White had already closed in. With a ferocious momentum, it brought its remaining right-arm bone blade down on Isshin's head.
"Ugh...!"
Gritting his teeth against the pain, Isshin raised his Zanpakuto to meet White's attack.
Boom!
Blade met bone, and Isshin was sent flying backwards, crashing into the concrete and steel of a building rooftop and leaving a massive crater in his wake.
Seizing this opportunity, White flashed and appeared right in front of Isshin, ready to deliver the final blow.
"Damn it..."
Helplessly watching White attack, the severe injuries wracking his body prevented Isshin from reacting in time. He could only wait for death.
But in that critical moment, a sudden change occurred!
Whoosh!
A spiritual arrow shot towards White.
Seeing this, White was forced to turn and slash at the incoming projectile.
Clang!
The spiritual arrow was shattered by White.
However, in doing so, White lost its chance to finish off Isshin.
Taking advantage of the distraction, Isshin flashed away, putting distance between himself and the Hollow.
He immediately turned his head to look in the direction the arrow had come from.
On the ground below the battlefield, a girl with orange short hair stood, bow in hand, aimed directly at White. It was clear she was the one who had attacked, buying Isshin precious time and saving his life.
Without a doubt, this girl was Masaki, who had just arrived.
On her bow, another spiritual arrow formed, aimed and ready to fire at White again at any moment.
"A... Quincy...?!"
Hidden in the shadows, Aizen couldn't help but exclaim in surprise upon seeing Masaki suddenly appear, attack White, and save Isshin.
Beside him, Tosen spoke coldly, "An unforeseen variable has appeared. It must be eliminated."
As he spoke, he prepared to move and eliminate this unexpected complication, Masaki.
"Wait!"
However, Aizen stopped Tosen.
"Let's observe for now," He said, a glint of interest flashing across his face.
"A Shinigami, a Quincy, and White, which combines the powers of Shinigami and Hollow... Interesting. I wonder what interesting developments will occur? Truly something to anticipate..."
Meanwhile, after Masaki's attack, White, whether out of rage or a desire to eliminate this new threat before focusing on Isshin, turned its attention from Isshin and charged towards Masaki on the ground.
Seeing White suddenly change targets and attack the girl below, Isshin urgently shouted, "Wait...!"
The moment he tried to move, a tearing pain shot through his entire body, forcing him to halt his attempt to intercept White.
On the ground, Masaki, seeing White charge at her, immediately fired a volley of spiritual arrows.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A rain of spiritual arrows shot towards White.
But like a petrel navigating a storm, White agilely dodged through the barrage.
'So fast! I can't predict its movements at all!' Masaki thought, her heart sinking.
'In that case—'
Suddenly, Masaki released her bow. She then raised her empty hand towards the charging White.
Seeing Masaki's action, both Isshin and the hidden Aizen group were momentarily stunned.
Realizing what she was doing, Isshin shouted desperately, "You fool! What are you doing?!"
Squelch!
Before his words faded, Whites remaining right-arm bone blade pierced through Masaki's body.
Yet Masaki used this moment to grab onto White with her left hand.
A pained smile crossed Masaki's face. "Good... got... you..."
She raised her free right hand. With a flash of light, a small, almost toy-like bow appeared in her grasp.
Immediately, she aimed this miniature bow at White's neck.
Whoosh!
A short spiritual arrow shot forth like a comet striking the moon, impossible for the restrained White to dodge.
Thud!
Despite its size, the arrow's power was unbelievably potent, instantly piercing through White's neck.
"What?!"
Isshin, along with the hidden Aizen, Gin, and Tosen, were simultaneously shocked.
White, which had battered a Gotei 13's Captain so thoroughly, was defeated just like that by a girl who appeared out of nowhere?
While Isshin was wounded by Aizen and unable to use Bankai, it still spoke volumes about White's power. Yet now, it was seemingly 'easily' defeated by this sudden interloper, creating a surreal feeling.
But then, as White suffered this fatal blow, the immense Reiatsu within its body, like a raging river, suddenly began to run wild. White's body also started to swell and expand.
"Don't tell me... Is it self-destructing?!" Tosen exclaimed in shock.
"How is this possible?!"
This experimental subject, White, wasn't created by Aizen alone. Tosen and Gin had participated throughout the process, with Tosen contributing nearly as much effort as Aizen. Yet, he had never anticipated that White would self-destruct upon receiving fatal damage. Likely, even Aizen hadn't foreseen this.
At this moment, although Masaki realized White was about to explode, she had been severely wounded when she grabbed it. She couldn't possibly escape in time.
Judging by the massive Reiatsu within White, once it detonated, everything in the vicinity would likely be obliterated.
Sensing Masaki's peril, Isshin, despite his own grievous injuries, charged towards her without hesitation, determined to save her.
After all, she had saved his life. And now, the life-threatening danger she faced was because she had helped him.
Isshin might usually seem lazy and unserious, but he was a man who deeply valued honor and obligation. If someone extended a helping hand to him, he would do his utmost to repay that kindness.
Even if he'd never met the person before, he couldn't stand by and watch them die, let alone ignore someone who had just saved his own life.