It was Hinamori's scream that made him stop short, the sheer horror in her voice. He could never bear to hear such a thing.

To strike hadn't been a decision he'd made lightly. Hitsugaya would rather not kill him, in all truth. But from his standpoint, there seemed to be little else to do. How else were they supposed to stop this? How were they supposed to get him back to normal and keep him from devouring souls? Killing him was the most practical option.

But the way Hinamori screamed . . .

He faltered a little, hesitated. This was . . . different than when she'd begged him to save Aizen, right? The man she'd been pleading for then hadn't existed. It was different here; he'd seen the fear on Frau's face over what he'd been doing. He was real.

Hitsugaya didn't lower his sword, but nor did he swing it, suddenly unsure of what was the best move.