An unbelievable guess emerged in Tsunayashiro Tokinada's mind.
For any ordinary person, such a thought would be dismissed immediately.
But Tsunayashiro Tokinada was no ordinary man.
He believed it.
Gosuke Shigure's words—"What are you kidding, a dead person came back to life?!"—should have been impossible.
Yet, Tokinada's shocked expression and frantic voice betrayed that, deep down, he did not deny the truth.
Instead, he looked at Gosuke and muttered, "If you're really that person… then you should understand me."
"After all, you were betrayed and killed by the Tsunayashiro family too."
"So… why? Why are you stopping me? I destroyed the Tsunayashiro line—for you. Wasn't I avenging your death?"
Perhaps it was the toll of his broken soul, or the creeping grip of death. Either way, Tsunayashiro Tokinada had clearly lost his sanity.
He didn't question whether Gosuke Shigure had truly reincarnated—he simply accepted it as reality.
His words sounded less like questioning Gosuke and more like justifying himself to a ghost of the past.
There was no logic in his defeat.
From his perspective, Gosuke Shigure had no reason to interfere—no connection to the Tsunayashiro family anymore.
Born a commoner, Shigure shouldn't care.
Even as the reborn man from before, his enmity with the Tsunayashiro family should align with Tokinada's vengeance.
Gosuke Shigure looked down at the broken man before him.
His voice was steady and cold.
"You weren't avenging me. You did it for yourself."
"You murdered someone and refused to take responsibility. When the Tsunayashiro family tried to sacrifice you, you lashed out and destroyed them all. That wasn't justice. That was selfishness."
"I'm not here to judge who was right or wrong," Gosuke continued. "I know exactly what kind of people the Tsunayashiro clan are."
"But once you slaughtered them, the karmic cycle remained unbroken. To sever my own ties to that cursed family… there's only one thing I can do."
His expression turned grim.
"I have to kill you."
"You may have avenged my unjust death… but I once bore the Tsunayashiro name. I was raised by them. I received kindness from that family, however twisted it became."
"And to repay that debt, I must kill the one who eradicated them."
Tsunayashiro Tokinada's eyes widened, unable to accept what he was hearing.
Gosuke Shigure smirked slightly.
Then, without another word, he hurled his Zanpakutō.
The blade pierced Tokinada.
Blood burst from his chest.
His body went still.
The once-feared noble collapsed, finally silenced.
Just as Tokinada's life slipped away, a figure appeared beside Gosuke Shigure—Shihouin Yoruichi.
She had sensed his killing intent and rushed to intervene—but it was too late.
Her tone was laced with conflict. "Sensei… did you kill him?"
Gosuke nodded, unshaken. "Yes. I did."
Yoruichi's brow furrowed. "I don't understand. He was already defeated. He couldn't even fight. Why not take him back to Soul Society for trial?"
Gosuke sheathed his Zanpakutō slowly.
"His soul was already shattered," he said calmly. "The pain he was in… it was unbearable. Killing him was a mercy."
"And more than that—I didn't want him alive."
"Regardless of what he did to the Tsunayashiro family, he was a noble. If we returned him alive, I couldn't be sure Central 46 would sentence him to death."
Yoruichi's eyes narrowed.
She heard the weight behind his words: a deep-rooted mistrust in the justice system… in nobles.
Given the corruption she'd witnessed herself among the upper houses, she understood.
Despite Tokinada's heinous crime, there was no guarantee Soul Society's leaders would administer proper punishment.
What if they simply imprisoned him? Or worse, pardoned him?
After a brief moment of silence, Yoruichi gave a small nod.
She would keep the truth hidden.
Even if her own grandfather asked, she would insist Tsunayashiro Tokinada had died in battle.
It would remain a secret—just between her and her former mentor.
Gosuke then removed strips of cloth from Tokinada's garments.
He wrapped the three Zanpakutō carefully: the Deceased, Yanluo Jingdian, and his current blade.
He didn't hand them to Yoruichi.
He knew her curiosity far too well—and these blades weren't toys.
Both the Deceased and Yanluo Jingdian fed off the soul.
If someone touched them recklessly, it could shatter their very essence.
Even the Shihouin heiress was not exempt from such danger.
Yoruichi, despite her natural intrigue, didn't press further.
She recalled that the Tsunayashiro clan was said to possess a hereditary Zanpakutō.
But which one it was—she couldn't tell.
Seeing that Gosuke had already claimed the blades, she respectfully turned away and lifted Tokinada's lifeless body.
Gosuke showed no intention of carrying the corpse.
That task fell to Yoruichi in the end.
With Tokinada's death, the core objective of their Hueco Mundo mission was complete.
All that remained was to leave the Forest of Menos and regroup with Shihouin Kūkaku and Zaraki Kenpachi.
But before they could move—
A voice called out.
"Kenpachi. May I have a word?"
It was calm. Measured.
Gosuke turned toward the source.
A figure stood there, cloaked in white bone and animal hide.
A mask covered his face, but the Zanpakutō at his hip and the unmistakable pressure of Reiatsu told Gosuke everything:
This was no Hollow.
It was a Shinigami.