1-3 The Only Choice

What is this?

Is that you, Shuhei?

I've got a mountain of questions I want to ask you, like why you're here and what's going on with Karakura Town, but...

I'm sorry, we should probably keep our distance from each other for now.

I don't understand. What's going on?

Who are you? Where did you come from? I don't think you were part of the group that came with Shunsui.

And the barrier didn't signal any subsequent infiltration. How did you get in here?

Are you Tokinada Tsunayashiro?

You're quite the impertinent little flea. Hold on, that emblem...

Oh, I see. I've seen you on screen before. You're that Soul Reaper in Karakura Town that Aura was talking about.

You took it upon yourself to use Tenkaiketchu, didn't you? You filthy crook.

Allow me to answer your question. Indeed, I am Tokinada Tsunayashiro.

I'm glad I got to meet a promising Soul Reaper such as yourself, Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi.

Or perhaps I should say that I'm happy you are going to write such good things about me in your articles, Seireitei Bulletin Editor-in-Chief, Shuhei Hisagi.

Damn you.

What do you think? I imagine an article about that idiot Shunsui Kyoraku dying like a dog after staging a rebellion along with the Arrancars and Quincies would be quite nice.

If you'd like, I could set you up with a special seat for the show. I might even give you a cut if it's a good article.

I think my readers will be far happier with an article detailing your defeat.

Is that so? I don't think it's right for the one running the media to weave in his own personal grudges, though.

Shouldn't the people in charge of distributing information always be impartial?

Even taking an impartial look at the things I've investigated so far, you don't come off as some saint.

What are you trying to do with Hikone? What are you going to gain by making that kid the Soul King?

It's not as complicated as you make it out to be.

In order for the Soul Reapers to control the three worlds, they need an absolute symbol that can rewrite the values of the world of the living and Hueco Mundo.

Hikone can do that. I trained the child to be able to do so. That's all there is to it.

You're treating people like tools.

You misunderstand. It may be true that Hikone is a tool, but I do not think of all people that way.

No, I find people to be a truly amusing spectacle. They think, wail, and shriek in despair arbitrarily, all of their own free will.

A tool is a non-human like Hikone, one who simply devotes themselves wholeheartedly to my cause and has no will of their own.

You bastard.

It's a simple truth. Hikone is not a person. He is not a Hollow, a Quincy, or a Soul Reaper.

He is just a tool that shall become the king willingly, a vessel I have made to govern the three worlds.

Of course, I do have more affection for that tool than I do for useless, ignorant fools. But Hikone's sentiments are far too one-sided.

If I told Hikone to die, he would try to drop dead on the spot. If I told him to suffer by crushing his own lungs, he would happily tear into his own chest with his fingers.

It would be boring to amuse myself with that child.

Great, I'm running out of options that don't involve cutting you down.

You never had that option to begin with. It would be impossible for you, after all.