But now it seemed that this assessment had been fundamentally flawed. Shiroha wasn't merely "under the mountain" or even "level with the mountain" in terms of power hierarchy. He had already ascended beyond such limitations—he was "above the mountain"!

The metaphor of the mountain had long been used among Shinigami to describe the pinnacle of strength represented by Yamamoto Genryūsai. To be "under the mountain" meant to be weaker than the Captain-Commander; to be "level with the mountain" suggested equality with his tremendous power. But to be "above the mountain"—that implied a realm of strength that transcended even the ancient foundation of the Gotei 13.

"Brother Shiroha, have you grown to this point? That's truly magnificent!" Kyōraku thought to himself, a mixture of pride and astonishment coloring his internal dialogue.

Returning his attention to the immediate situation, Kyōraku shifted his gaze toward Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, and Tōsen Kaname—the three architects of the current crisis. With the Espada effectively eliminated as a fighting force, these traitors represented the remaining threat that needed to be addressed.

"The Espada are finished! Next, it's these three culprits! It's time to clean up the traitors!" His strategic assessment was concise and accurate, though he immediately recognized the primary complication they still faced. "But we must be cautious of Kyōka Suigetsu's perfect hypnosis! Such a troublesome ability!"

Despite the challenges ahead, Kyōraku couldn't help but feel a touch of envy toward his old friend's apparent freedom. "Sometimes I really envy Brother Shiroha, who can come and go as he pleases and act according to his own will. That's truly living!"

The other Shinigami present shared similar sentiments regarding their overall strategic position. From their perspective, the "three traitors" would inevitably face defeat now that their Arrancar forces had been eliminated.

Their reasoning seemed sound—the Shinigami maintained numerical superiority, and the momentum of battle had shifted decisively in their favor. They had multiple captains to oppose a single Aizen, and most importantly, they had the strongest Shinigami, Captain-Commander Yamamoto, leading their forces.

"How could we possibly lose under such favorable circumstances?" they thought confidently. "Arrogant Aizen, you understand nothing about the true power of the gods!"

While these assessments were being made, Tōsen had activated his Resurrección, transforming into a hideous creature that bore little resemblance to his former self. He engaged in fierce combat with Komamura Sajin, his longtime friend turned adversary.

Both combatants appeared to be holding back somewhat, neither willing to immediately resort to their most devastating techniques. As a result, their battle had reached a temporary stalemate, with neither gaining a decisive advantage over the other.

After witnessing Uehara Shiroha's clone disappear from the battlefield, Komamura called out to his former friend: "Fighting one against three, and emerging unscathed—Commander Uehara's strength has grown even more formidable than before. It appears that what we witnessed was merely some form of clone ability rather than his true self."

Komamura's voice carried a mixture of awe and certainty as he continued: "You cannot possibly defeat Commander Uehara. This war that you have initiated lacks any moral justification, and you have no realistic chance of victory. Tōsen, surrender while you still can!"

Tōsen, his appearance drastically altered by his transformation, seemed to struggle with controlling his emotional state. His response came in a tone that bordered on fanatical devotion: "Uehara Shiroha is indeed a significant obstacle. He should have been eliminated much earlier in our planning. But it is not too late to address this issue now. Lord Aizen is truly invincible. He will certainly defeat Uehara Shiroha."

The former captain of the 9th Division no longer resembled the stoic, reserved "blind justice" figure that his colleagues had known for centuries. He had abandoned not just his loyalty to the Gotei 13, but seemingly his very humanity as well.

Black wings with thin, membranous surfaces had erupted from his waist, while his entire body had become encased in black bone armor. His hands and feet had mutated into something alien and predatory. From a distance, he resembled nothing so much as an enormous, deformed insect—specifically, a grotesque fly of impossible proportions.

His face had undergone the most disturbing transformation of all. Two massive, purple eyes now dominated his features—bulging, lidless orbs that seemed to drink in the visual information of the world with insatiable hunger. These enormous eyes occupied the majority of his facial structure, creating an appearance so unnerving and revolting that it threatened the sanity of those who beheld it too long.

This monstrous form represented the power gained through embracing hatred rather than justice. Tōsen had personally requested that Aizen use the Hōgyoku to transform him, enabling him to attain complete Hollowfication and perfect integration of Hollow powers.

Through his Resurrección, he had achieved completion—a state that compensated for what he had always considered his innate defect. For the first time in his existence, he could perceive the visual world directly!

He could see!

Throughout his life, Tōsen had harbored resentment toward what he perceived as the fundamental injustice of fate. From birth, he believed that some divine force had cruelly deprived him of sight and, later, had taken the life of his dear friend Kakushika.

In Tōsen's mind, it was Aizen who had offered him a new beginning—granting him enhanced power, the possibility of vision, and the opportunity to pursue what he considered true justice. For these gifts, his loyalty to Aizen had become absolute and unquestioning.

Therefore, the current Tōsen Kaname maintained unshakable faith that justice would ultimately prevail—though his definition of justice had warped beyond recognition.

Looking at the dramatically transformed figure before him, Komamura felt a profound sense of sorrow overtake him: "Tōsen, you can see now. Is this why you betrayed our friendship? But at what terrible cost have you gained this ability? What has become of the justice you once believed in so passionately?"

In previous years, Komamura had concealed his face behind a helmet resembling a wooden barrel, hiding his lupine features from the world. He had feared being viewed as a monster by his fellow Shinigami, believing his unusual appearance would make him an outcast.

His friendship with Tōsen had been particularly meaningful because the blind captain couldn't perceive his physical differences—Tōsen had accepted him based on character rather than appearance. This had created a profound bond between them, one that transcended superficial judgment.

Now Tōsen could finally see Komamura's wolf-like countenance, but ironically, the 7th Division captain no longer felt the need to hide his true nature. He had learned to accept himself fully, revealing his unique features openly to the world without shame or hesitation.

The cruel irony was that while Komamura had found self-acceptance, his dear friend had undergone a transformation that rendered him monstrous in both body and spirit. The corruption had penetrated beyond physical appearance, reaching into the very core of Tōsen's being and warping the principles that had once defined him.

This tragic reversal filled Komamura with immense sadness, yet he recognized that his personal feelings couldn't alter their present reality. Fate indeed seemed to delight in creating such bitter ironies, twisting relationships into painful reflections of what they once had been.

Tōsen responded in a tone dripping with contempt: "I can indeed see now. I can clearly perceive your hideous appearance. It's no wonder you concealed your face before! I have already paid the necessary price for my vision. As for justice... Do you truly believe that remaining loyal to an organization that protected my best friend's murderer constitutes justice?"

The revelation of Tōsen's motivations provided crucial context for his betrayal. As a member of the noble Tsunayashiro family, Tokinada had murdered Tōsen's friend Kakushika but had escaped punishment due to his aristocratic status. The Gotei 13, bound by the social hierarchy of Soul Society, had been powerless—or unwilling—to bring the murderer to justice.

In Tōsen's view, an organization that would protect such a killer could never embody true justice. He would never acknowledge or accept such a perverse interpretation of moral principles.

This fundamental disagreement illustrated how people with irreconcilably different ideological perspectives cannot effectively work together toward common goals. The gulf between their definitions of justice had become too vast to bridge through mere dialogue.

After activating his Bankai, Komamura swung his Zanpakutō with determined resolve and shouted: "Tōsen, although I have no desire to take your life, I must stop you from causing further harm. I will defeat you and force you to recognize your errors!"

The massive spectral form of Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō materialized behind him, mirroring his movements as he continued: "Your eyes may now perceive the physical world, but they remain blind to essential truths. I will personally awaken your sense of justice! If you still refuse to change your path after facing defeat, I will have no choice but to cut you down with my own hands!"

"Ridiculous!" Tōsen snarled in response, his newly-acquired vision focusing on the enormous armored giant that served as Komamura's Bankai. Without showing any sign of fear, he rushed directly toward the imposing figure of Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō.

"What qualifications do you possess to pass judgment on me? My physical vision has indeed changed—I can clearly see your monstrous appearance now. Don't attempt to deceive me any longer with your hypocritical notions of justice!"

Despite the confidence conveyed by his words, Tōsen exhibited subtle signs of anxiety in his movements and spiritual pressure. This underlying uncertainty influenced his tactical approach, causing him to choose the most aggressive and direct method of engagement possible.

He seemed driven by an overwhelming urge to vent destructive impulses that had accumulated within him—to externalize the chaos that had taken root in his soul. The transformation of his body had been accompanied by a corresponding transformation of his psyche, leaving him struggling to maintain coherent thought patterns amid surges of primal emotion.

The two former friends, now positioned on opposite sides of an unbridgeable ideological divide, faced each other with weapons drawn and resolved hearts. What had once been a relationship built on mutual respect and shared values had deteriorated into a life-or-death confrontation that only one could survive.

Their battle represented not merely a physical contest but a clash of fundamentally incompatible worldviews—a philosophical argument given expression through violence rather than words. Each blow struck carried the weight of their respective convictions, each parry a rejection of the other's core beliefs.