Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō-Chapter 216: Stars

The news of the Tsunayashiro Clan's defenses collapsing yet again spread like wildfire across their territory. With it, the last remnants of their Shinigami's fighting spirit crumbled.

These so-called warriors—arrogant bullies in times of power—had been reduced to nothing more than terrified prey. Their once-brutal nature had completely vanished, replaced by sheer, unrelenting fear.

The elders of the clan understood the truth.

For decades, the Tsunayashiro Clan had expanded recklessly, growing ever more influential on the surface. But beneath that illusion of power, their military strength had been steadily declining.

The Eleventh Kenpachi—just the thought of him was enough to make them grit their teeth in fury—had cost them several warriors with Captain-class Reiatsu.

Then came the invasion of the Black Swordsman.

Not only had the branch family suffered heavy losses, but even the main house had been forced to sacrifice many of their strongest fighters.

This was a clan that had once stood at the pinnacle of Soul Society for over a million years. Their ancestors had fought alongside the Soul King himself.

Yet over countless generations, their once-pure noble blood had diluted, leaving their descendants weaker and weaker. That was why, in desperation, they had swallowed their pride to keep Tokinada Tsunayashiro under their control.

Now, they had fallen so far that even Hollows could trample over them.

They shivered as they looked upon the strange creatures stalking through their halls.

Their grotesque, distorted faces...

Their unnerving familiarity...

These were people they had known.

Loyal retainers. Trusted servants. Even family.

All twisted into something unrecognizable.

...

A man in noble attire strode through the rain, heading toward the Tsunayashiro branch family's compound.

His pleasant smile did nothing to mask the oppressive force of his terrifying Reiatsu.

The Metastacias hesitated, taking a step back and raising their bloodstained Zanpakutōs. Their stance immediately exposed them as amateurs—anyone trained in Zanjutsu could see it at a glance.

The nobleman held his sword casually in one hand.

With a simple swing, his treasured family blade shattered their weapons and, in the same motion, sent their heads flying.

"Pathetic. You can't even handle something this trivial?"

The Metastacias' alarm bells rang out, shaking the entire attic. The Tsunayashiro Clan members, who had been hiding from the slaughter, crowded the hallways. At that moment, all eyes turned to the man.

"It's Tokinada! He was under house arrest—he's been released!"

"You lowly branch family member, why are you only coming now?"

"Hurry up and save us! We're the main family!"

"If you save us, we can plead with the elders to reduce your sentence!"

Even as they cried for help, their tone remained condescending.

Tokinada Tsunayashiro ignored them, already locked in battle with over a dozen Metastacias.

He sprinted wildly through the grand hall on the first floor, moving as if obstacles didn't exist. The only things in his path were blood and corpses, which he regarded as nothing more than foul garbage, not even worth a glance.

With a sudden burst of speed, he vanished like a phantom.

The Metastacias were stunned, but they had no choice but to weave through the panicked crowd, grabbing anyone within reach to use as human shields.

As artificial Hollows modeled after Metastacia, their power was far inferior to that of their leader. But that didn't matter—they knew, even if their boss were here, he wouldn't stand a chance against this man.

Whenever Tokinada Tsunayashiro cut down a human shield, he would pause, as if waiting for something, flashing a dazzling smile.

The Tsunayashiro Clan members, who had briefly glimpsed hope, were baffled.

This guy is a lunatic! At a time like this, he's not killing the Hollows to save himself—what the hell is he smiling about?

But then, they realized something was wrong. The Metastacias were scattering, fleeing through different exits, snatching up random passersby and wrapping them in their tentacles as makeshift barriers.

And the smiling noble vanished in an instant.

His Shunpo was terrifyingly fast. Each time he reappeared, he covered several meters in a blink, moving like a specter. One moment, he wasn't there—then suddenly, he was behind the Metastacias, cleaving through them and their captured shields in a single stroke.

The Metastacias were dying. And so were the members of the Tsunayashiro Clan.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / PinkSnake