Bleach: The Strongest Shinigami, Hitsugaya Toshiro

Outside the 10th Division, at the battlefield between Sojiro and Nukui.

Sojiro walked through the air towards Nukui, who was frozen in the ice.

Although Nukui was frozen in the ice, he was not dead. It wasn't that Sojiro couldn't kill him, but he didn't want to.

Because Sojiro planned to bring Nukui back for thorough interrogation.

Watching Sojiro approach step by step, Nukui, though unable to move within the ice, was extremely anxious in his heart.

'Damn it, am I going to be captured? It doesn't matter if I die, but if the Bakkoto falls into the 10th Division's hands, it will bring trouble to Kumoi-sama... No choice, even if it costs my life, even if I have to die, I cannot die here!!'

Thinking this, Nukui desperately squeezed the Reiatsu within his body, burning his life force, pouring everything he had into the Bakkoto in his hand.

Then, the tentacles on the hilt of the Bakkoto, which had been frozen along with Nukui, began to writhe again! Those tentacles suddenly pierced into Nukui's arm, eventually covering his entire forearm.

"What's going on?!"

Seeing this eerie scene, Sojiro was shocked.

Logically, frozen in ice, neither Nukui nor that strange sword should be able to move.

"Forget it. I originally wanted to take you back for interrogation, but now it seems better to kill you and take that strange sword back!"

Sojiro frowned.

However, just as he was about to shatter the ice pillar along with Nukui, a powerful force suddenly erupted from within it.

Boom!

The ice pillar, stretching dozens of meters from the ground into the sky, exploded violently. The shattered ice crystals shot towards Sojiro like countless hidden weapons.

"What!"

Sojiro quickly swung his sword to block the incoming ice.

Clang, clang, clang..

Just as he finished shattering the ice attacking him, a blindingly dazzling light suddenly shone upon him.

Sojiro instinctively closed his eyes, and his movement halted. He stopped in place.

"Ugh..."

When the light faded and he came to his senses, Nukui was gone.

"Damn it! Did he escape?"

Sojiro's expression turned ugly.

He searched the vicinity but found no trace of Nukui.

Sojiro said with a troubled look: "Yare yare, this is a headache. I let the enemy get away. That guy Ashido is definitely going to laugh at me when I get back. And most importantly, Captain will be disappointed too..."

"Sigh!"

Sojiro sighed helplessly but had no choice but to return.

…

Kasumioji Residence, a hidden secret room.

Kumoi paced anxiously within the secret room.

Nukui had been gone for a while and still hadn't returned. This inevitably made Kumoi worry that he might be trapped in the 10th Division.

Actually, even if Nukui and the others all died in the 10th Division, Kumoi wouldn't care. But the key point was that Nukui had taken a Bakkoto with him.

'If the Bakkoto falls into the hands of the 10th Division, into Hitsugaya Toshiro's hands... then it will be troublesome...'

'Sigh, I miscalculated this time. Knowing that the 10th Division has that man, Hitsugaya Toshiro, I still sent people to infiltrate...'

Kumoi couldn't help but feel some regret.

"Hmm?"

Kumoi suddenly heard a noise from the secret room.

'Could it be that Nukui has returned?'

Kumoi thought.

Bang!

The secret door was suddenly roughly opened, and a figure directly burst in. It was Nukui!

Kumoi couldn't help but angrily say, "Nukui! You are extremely rude! Barging in without reporting..."

Thud!

Before Kumoi could finish, Nukui's body crashed heavily to the ground!

"What! What's going on, Nukui!"

Kumoi exclaimed in alarm.

Nukui, lying on the ground, struggled to lift his head and said, "Ku-Kumoi-sama... the mission failed... besides me, all the others were..."

Kumoi asked with an ugly expression, "The mission failed? With the Bakkoto in hand, your strength should be able to rival a Captain-level. Now not only did the mission fail, but you are also this severely injured. Did you encounter Hitsugaya Toshiro?"

Nukui said somewhat ashamed, "No, I did not encounter Hitsugaya Toshiro. The one I fought was the 3rd Seat of the 10th Division… Kusaka Sojiro."

"What? Just a 3rd Seat made you this miserable? You have disappointed me greatly, Nukui!"

Kumoi scolded.

Nukui immediately explained, "No, Kumoi-sama. Although he is only a 3rd Seat, his strength is definitely not inferior to those Captains of the Gotei 13."

"Moreover, his ice-type Zanpakuto is quite powerful. I speculate that aside from Hitsugaya Toshiro's renowned Strongest Ice-type Zanpakuto 'Hyorinmaru', there is absolutely no other ice-type Zanpakuto stronger than his."

The power of Sojiro's Zanpakuto had left Nukui shaken even now. That kind of powerful Zanpakuto was top-tier even among all ice-types Zanpakuto.

Aside from Toshiro, Nukui couldn't think of any other ice-type Zanpakuto that could compare to Sojiro's.

Possessing such a powerful Zanpakuto, even someone with stronger Reiatsu than Sojiro might not be able to defeat him.

That's why Nukui had lost so badly.

"Just a 3rd Seat possesses such strength? The power of the 10th Division is truly unexpected..."

Kumoi's expression grew even more fearful.

"Kumoi-sama, although this mission failed, fortunately, I desperately escaped and did not let the Bakkoto fall into the 10th Division's hands."

Nukui said with some relief.

"That's good."

Kumoi breathed a sigh of relief.

Although even if the Bakkoto fell into the 10th Division's hands, Kumoi would deny it to the death that it was related to the Kasumioji Clan.

However, Toshiro's style of conduct had always been very overbearing. Once a Bakkoto fell into his hands and he learned it was related to the Kasumioji Clan, he would definitely forcibly enter the Kasumioji Residence to search.

"By the way, how are your injuries?"

Seeing Nukui lying on the ground, pale and covered in blood, Kumoi couldn't help but frown and ask.

Although he didn't care much about Nukui's life or death, Nukui was, after all, his most capable subordinate. If he died, he wouldn't be able to find a suitable replacement for the time being.

Hearing Kumoi's words, Nukui's expression darkened: "Kumoi-sama, at the critical moment, I transcended limits and fused with the Bakkoto. Then, burning my life force, the Bakkoto erupted with immense power, allowing me to fortunately escape."

The reason Nukui could escape this time was at the cost of burning his life force. Although Shinigami have long lifespans, and even burning some life force allows them to live for many more years.

However, after transcending limits and fusing with the Bakkoto, unless he dies, the wielder cannot separate from the Bakkoto. The Bakkoto will then continuously absorb the wielder's life force. No matter how long one's lifespan, they won't be able to withstand it.

Now, even Nukui himself didn't know how much longer he could live.

"Is that so? You transcended limits and fused with the Bakkoto?"

Kumoi couldn't help but frown.

"Never mind. Even so, you won't die for a short time. Make good use of your remaining time to serve me."

Kumoi said indifferently.

"Yes."

Nukui replied, not caring at all about Kumoi's cold attitude.

Then Kumoi had someone come in to take Nukui out for treatment, while he stayed alone in the secret room, thinking about something.

'It seems forcibly taking that little girl Rurichiyo from the 10th Division is impossible. Now, the only option is to use that kid from the Kannogi Clan...'