Bzzz—bzzz—bzzz—
The moment Kaname Tōsen released his Shikai, the spiritual pressure along his Zanpakutō began vibrating at high speed, producing a sharp buzzing sound—like the chirping of crickets calling for mates at night.
He then pointed the tip of his blade forward. Instantly, an invisible ring-shaped soundwave shot out like a serpent toward the massive green river beast.
"Go, Ikomikidomoe!" Tokio Tsunayashiro commanded, urging the green monster to open its enormous maw and roar. Tornado-like gusts immediately surged toward Tōsen.
Yet to Tokio's shock, although the tornadoes clearly struck Tōsen, the latter appeared completely unharmed. Instead, a faint sneer curled at the corner of his lips.
"Third Seat Tsunayashiro, where exactly are you looking?"
"What?!"
Tokio never expected Tōsen's voice to sound from behind him. By the time he realized the danger, a blade had already cut into his back—
Slash—!
Blood sprayed violently from the wound, scattering into crimson blossoms across the pristine white tiles.
"Damn it! I clearly hit him—why… why?!" Tokio retreated over ten meters from Tōsen, frantically trying to understand.
"Strange, isn't it, Third Seat Tsunayashiro? I imagine you're thinking right now—"
Tōsen calmly wiped the blood from his blade as he spoke in an unhurried tone: "'I clearly struck him. Why was it ineffective?'"
"Tch, stop playing tricks! I was just careless! This time, I'll definitely cut you—"
Before he could finish the word you, there was another sharp shhk—
A second deep wound opened across his back, so deep that bone was visible. Blood gushed out instantly.
"Wh—what?!"
Tokio stared in disbelief at Tōsen, who stood some distance away. If he was that far in front of him, how was he still being struck from behind?
"I'm standing right in front of you, yet my attacks come from behind—surely that's what you're thinking?"
Tōsen's figure slowly materialized behind Tokio once more. Before Tokio could react, Tōsen swung his blade and severed the ligament behind his left knee.
"Ugh—!"
With the tendon cut, Tokio instantly lost his balance and collapsed to the ground. Blood quickly soaked through his pant leg.
"Why do you think that is?"
Tōsen walked slowly around to face him, raising his Zanpakutō coldly.
"No matter how you attack, you cannot touch me. Yet you cannot evade a single one of my strikes. In a battle like this… have you begun to feel despair?"
"Damn it!"
Because of his injuries, Tokio could no longer maintain his Shikai. Still, seeing Tōsen so close, he ignored the pain and thrust his blade toward Tōsen's chest.
Slash—
Another flash of steel.
Tōsen severed the ligament in Tokio's right arm. The entire limb went limp at his side, and his Zanpakutō slipped from his grasp, clattering to the floor.
"Third Seat Tsunayashiro," Tōsen said as he emerged from behind him once again, speaking slowly and clearly, "from the moment you dared raise your sword against me, your tragic fate was sealed."
"I will spare your life for the sake of the Tsunayashiro Clan. But as punishment for your insolence, I will sever your right arm."
"Damn you!!"
With the tendons in his left leg and right arm cut, and three bleeding wounds across his body, Tokio had no way to dodge. He could only watch helplessly as Tōsen's blade descended—
Whoosh—!
At that critical instant, a Zanpakutō glowing with crystalline green light shot toward Tōsen's throat like an arrow.
"What?!"
Startled, Tōsen immediately used Shunpo to flash aside, barely evading the sudden attack.
"That's quite the killing intent you've got, Jinkela."
As the words fell, Fūjin Taichi appeared out of thin air in front of Tokio. He seized his Zanpakutō midair and swung it sideways just in time to block Tōsen's follow-up strike.
Clang!
Tōsen's blade crashed heavily against Taichi's, producing a sharp metallic ring. A shockwave burst outward with a loud whoomph, sweeping across the courtyard.
"Jinkela, you're a Captain, aren't you? If you can't win head-on, you resort to sneak attacks? That shameless?"
Holding his blade in reverse grip, Taichi forced Tōsen back, then glanced over his shoulder at Tokio.
"Hey! Tsunayashiro—you're not dead yet, are you?"
"Bastard! Even if you died, I wouldn't! Cough—cough—"
Tokio was clearly gravely wounded; after only a few words, he coughed up a large mouthful of dark blood.
"Heh. You're not far from it," Taichi muttered, shaking his head slightly as he stepped closer with his blade in hand.
"Y-You… what are you going to do?" Tokio asked through the searing pain.
"Don't get the wrong idea! We're about to fight—so I'm just getting the bystanders out of the way."
Taichi grabbed the silver-white scarf around the man's neck with his left hand and vanished using Shunpo.
...
Meanwhile, inside the Fourth Division barracks—
Kotetsu Isane was in the front hall laying out medicinal herbs to dry when she suddenly saw a figure rush inside. Startled, she knocked over a tray of herbs and drew her Zanpakutō.
"Who goes there?!"
"Calm down, Isane," said Retsu Unohana serenely, seated beneath the eaves at the entrance. "They are likely not enemies."
"They?"
Isane looked again.
Fūjin Taichi was dragging the blood-soaked Tokio into the Fourth Division's front hall.
"Is anyone here?" Taichi asked as he dropped Tokio in front of Isane.
"Huh?! What do you mean by that?!" Isane snapped. "The captain and I are standing right here—are we invisible to you?"
"No, I mean… is there anyone who can treat him?" Taichi pointed at the half-dead Tokio on the floor. "He's badly injured… several joints look like they've been severed."
"Vice-Captain Fūjin, Third Seat Tsunayashiro's injuries are not life-threatening," Unohana said with a gentle smile. "In my view, your situation seems rather more urgent."
"What?"
"No need to speak in riddles, Vice-Captain Fūjin. You still bear the charge of colluding with the Ryoka who invaded the Seireitei…"
With her hands tucked into her wide sleeves, Unohana continued softly,
"And coincidentally… one hour ago, Captain Sōsuke Aizen of the Fifth Division was murdered in his office."
"Oh…"
Taichi had long known Aizen would "die," so he showed little surprise. Still, he wondered privately: Wasn't Aizen supposed to die at the East Great Wall?
"So," Unohana asked with a radiant smile, "does this matter have anything to do with you?"
"Of course not! I didn't even know about it!" Taichi frowned, then suddenly thought of something. "Captain Unohana—have you seen the scene yet?"
"We have received orders from the Captain-Commander to proceed to the Fifth Division immediately for examination."
As she spoke, Unohana rose to her feet.
"You seem rather interested in this matter, Vice-Captain Fūjin. Would you like to come along?"
"No. I came here solely to ask Captain Unohana to save Tsunayashiro. I have no interest in anything else."
Taichi declined her invitation and immediately turned back toward the Ninth Division barracks.
On the way, he mulled over a question: Why are Tokio Tsunayashiro and Kaname Tōsen fighting? Those two have nothing to do with each other…
As for his own intention to eliminate Tōsen ahead of time—it was purely because he didn't want to sit around passively waiting for Aizen to make his move.
After all, as a transmigrator, what would it mean if he didn't change the plot? Was he here just to watch a live-action version of Bleach?
As the Ninth Division barracks came into view, a sudden thought struck him:
"Since Aizen has already started faking his death… doesn't that give me the perfect chance to ambush him?"
The moment the idea formed, Taichi acted.
He drew his Zanpakutō and carved open a cross-shaped spatial passage in front of him. Before the gateway could collapse, he leapt inside.