Whoosh—
As the dust settled, Toshiro had already shed his Gigai and transformed into his Shinigami form. The original Yosuke, however, had vanished from where he stood.
"Tch. Was I too late after all?"
Toshiro's expression was grim.
He had intended to rush in and use his own Reiatsu to suppress Yosuke's Hollowfication, but unfortunately, he had still been wearing his Gigai at the time and couldn't unleash his true power.
Although shedding his Gigai and becoming a Shinigami took only an instant, not much time at all, that single instant was precisely the moment he lost his chance to stop Yosuke.
By the time Toshiro had transformed into his Shinigami state, Yosuke had already become a Hollow.
"Over there?"
Toshiro looked up at the sky, seeing the Hollow that Yosuke had become hovering in mid-air.
Whoosh!
The Hollow Yosuke had become suddenly flickered and vanished from its spot.
Just as Toshiro was preparing to counter Yosuke's attack, he suddenly realized that Yosuke's target wasn't him, but Karin, who wasn't far away.
"Dammit!"
Toshiro shouted in frustration, immediately using Shunpo. His figure flickered, and he appeared in front of Karin just in time.
Then, Toshiro scooped Karin up in his arms and vanished from the spot.
Bang!
Only after Toshiro had disappeared with Karin in his arms did the bone blade on Yosuke's arm smash into the spot where Karin had been standing, blasting a large crater into the ground.
"Karin, you hide over there. Leave Yosuke to me."
Toshiro set Karin down from his arms.
"Yeah..."
Having just been princess-carried by Toshiro, Karin blushed and nodded shyly, then obediently moved to the rear.
"ROAR!"
The Hollow Yosuke had become let out a roar and immediately attacked Toshiro, swinging the bone blade on its arm down at him from above.
Toshiro, however, simply reached out his hand casually to catch the bone blade.
Clang!
The bone blade struck Toshiro's right hand, but sparks flew, and a dull metallic clang echoed.
"ROOAR—"
Seeing his attack was ineffective, Yosuke tried to pull his bone blade back, only to find it held tightly in Toshiro's grip, completely immobile.
"Your Reiryoku really is strong. Even though you just became a Hollow, you've already surpassed ordinary Hollows and become a Menos Grande. Your Reiatsu is almost comparable to a Gillian."
Toshiro suddenly spoke to the Hollow Yosuke had become.
When he had seen Yosuke earlier, his spiritual body had been very solid, unlike other spirits which were somewhat ethereal. This meant his Reiryoku was very strong, and if he became a Hollow, he would be stronger than ordinary ones.
But that didn't really matter to Toshiro. Whether Yosuke was a Menos Grande or a Gillian, it made no difference to him.
Then Toshiro suddenly applied force with his right hand, pushing the massive Hollowfied Yosuke back step by step.
"I'm sorry, Yosuke. My carelessness allowed you to become a Hollow. So, let me end this with my own hands."
Clang—
Toshiro reached back and drew the Zanpakuto strapped to his back.
Although facing mere Menos Grande was overkill, Toshiro did it anyway to show his sincerity.
Toshiro raised his Zanpakuto with both hands, slowly: "I'm coming."
"Wait! Toshiro!!"
Karin shouted from behind, stopping him.
"Toshiro, that's Yosuke! Isn't there something you can do?!"
Karin couldn't bear to watch.
Toshiro apologized: "I'm sorry. For someone who has become a Hollow, there's nothing that can be done..."
If it were like Shinji and the others from the Vizard, who were originally Shinigami but had undergone Hollowfication experiments, they could have been saved with the Hogyoku like Kisuke did back then. But Yosuke was now a true Hollow... he couldn't return to what he was before.
And even if his situation were similar to Shinji and the others, there would be no hope of saving Yosuke.
The Hogyoku was currently in Aizen's possession. Aizen wouldn't kindly lend it to Toshiro to save someone.
"Even though I can't save you, I will fulfill your final wish."
Toshiro promised the Hollowfied Yosuke solemnly.
Tap, tap, tap...
Heavy footsteps came from the nearby house. Grandma Haru, who had been lying inside, emerged, dragging her weakened body.
"Go on, Toshiro. Do what you must. Don't hesitate, don't be confused. It will be a release for Yosuke too."
Grandma Haru managed a difficult smile.
The previously violent Yosuke paused for a moment when Grandma Haru appeared, miraculously calming down.
Seeing this, Toshiro hesitated no longer.
"Haah!"
Toshiro shouted, leaped into the air, and stabbed his Zanpakuto towards Yosuke.
Whoosh!
A flash of sharp sword light.
Squirt—!
Blood sprayed out like a fountain.
Thud!
Yosuke's massive Hollowfied body crashed to the ground.
Crack, crack...
Cracks suddenly appeared on Yosuke's Hollowfied body. It began to peel away like a shell, revealing Yosuke's true form inside.
Compared to before becoming a Hollow, Yosuke's spiritual body had become ethereal and transparent, no longer as solid and real as before.
Toshiro's attack had only destroyed Yosuke's Saketsu and Hakusui. So, Yosuke didn't die immediately. However, the Reiryoku in his body was continuously draining away, which was why he returned to his original form.
Of course, this didn't mean Yosuke was saved. Yosuke wasn't Ichigo. With his Saketsu and Hakusui destroyed, once his Reiryoku was completely drained, Yosuke would vanish entirely.
"Yosuke..."
After the battle ended, Grandma Haru and Karin came over.
"I'm sorry, Yosuke. Grandma couldn't save you. If only my Reiatsu had been a little stronger..."
Grandma Haru held Yosuke's now ethereal, transparent hand, her face full of sorrow.
As Grandma Haru bid farewell to the fading Yosuke, Toshiro suddenly looked up at the sky and silently released his Reiatsu.
Then, dark clouds gathered in the formerly clear, summer sky. Fluffy, goose-feather snow began to fall.
For Toshiro, creating a snowfall didn't require releasing his Zanpakuto and using its weather-manipulation ability. He could do it with his Reiatsu alone.
As the snowflakes fell from the sky, Yosuke, lying on the ground, widened his eyes.
"Ah! It's snowing!"
Karin suddenly felt a cool touch on her face. Looking up, she saw snowflakes drifting down like feathers.
"So this is snow... It's beautiful..."
Yosuke's face broke into a happy, satisfied smile.
He reached out his hand, trying to catch the falling snowflakes.
But the moment his hand touched a snowflake, Yosuke's ethereal, transparent body suddenly dissolved into points of light, completely disappearing into the world.