Chapter 44: Tom vs The White Lotus

Bursting out of the bushes Tom found Matsumoto and her men busy engaging 8 men vastly outnumbered as 2 of her men already lay on the ground dead. "It's only a matter of time until the men overwhelm them" he thought noticing they were all heavily injured with slash marks across their arms and legs while sweat was dripping from them as they were breathing heavily.

The White Lotus soldiers weren't letting up as they reigned blow after blow slowly wearing them out as their blocks were becoming less powerful as one squad member had his blade knocked from him and dropped to his knees completely spent. "Damn it I have to help" Tom thought to himself as he unsheathed Tamashii Seigei and placed a hand atop his blade "Past, Present and Future. Pass Judgment Tamashii Seigi" he cried out running his hand down the blade as a bright white light engulfed it unleashing his shikai.

Pointing the tip of his blade at two of the enemies a dark red mist began to glow as he waited until they were about to strike at the 10th squad member "Kage Gekido". He unleashed a huge dark red reiatsu blast as it collided with the two unaware men throwing them violently forward crashing into the side of a building dead from the power of his blast.

The surprise attack caught the remaining soldiers off guard as they hesitated which Matsumoto used to her advantage placing a hand upon her zanpakuto "Growl Haineko". A light grey ash mist surrounded the White Lotus soldiers as multiple cuts appeared across their sword hands causing them to drop their blades as the 10th squad members seized the opportunity cutting them down.

"You bastard" one of them growled looking at Tom as they lunged forward grabbing their sword and running towards him blade raised high in the air. Swinging the sword down Tom easily parried the blow away taking a step back as he extended out his right hand "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your own throat!" Binding Art 9: Strike".

The soldier was engulfed in a bright red light causing him to roar out in pain dropping his sword and sinking down to his knees. Hatred was in his eyes as he glared at Tom trying to break free with all his might but no matter how hard he struggled the spell wasn't breaking as the man's body went limp finally giving up.

"I can't thank you enough for your timely arrival" Matsumoto said as Tom bowed "I'm Tom 3rd seat in the 9th squad, Mitch sent me to assist since he thought you might have needed some help". "That does sound like Mitch always arriving to help and be the hero" Matsumoto smiled before sensing Ania's reiatsu clashing with the Commanders "Though Ania might be the one needing a bit of help as she went to go face one of their commanders alone".

Tom looked over in the direction where he sensed Ania's reiatsu before feeling Mitch's fast approaching the location "Don't worry Mitch raced ahead to help her if she needs it". Upon hearing that Matsumoto breathed a sigh of relief knowing that if Mitch was there Ania would be perfectly fine as she turned back to her treat her wounded comrades with healing kido.

While Matsumoto was assisting everyone Tom had walked off to interrogate the man he had captured who was kneeling calmly with his eyes closed almost in meditation. "I'm going to release the binding spell on you now but if you try and attack me I won't kill you, instead I'll just bind you again and drag you back to Seireitei" the man opened his eyes just as Tom released the spell leaving him to pick up his sword while Tom began to question him.

"Tell me why you attacked an innocent village, what did you hope to achieve from this pointless slaughter?" The only answer he got was the White Lotus soldier unsheathing his sword and turning around to face Tom smiling wickedly "I'll never answer you Shinigami filth, I've achieved my duties and for that I can leave this world knowing I've pleased Master Han!"

Expecting him to attack Tom unsheathed Tamashii Seigei readying himself for an attack but what happened next left him shocked and horrified as the soldier plunged his zanpakuto into his heart collapsing to the ground in a slowly forming pool of his own blood. "…how could someone just take their life simply because they got captured, it doesn't make any sense" Tom thought to himself slowly turning away from the corpse seeing if Matsumoto needed any help so he could take his mind off what had just happened.