An indescribable sensation.
In that instant, Unohana Retsu felt as if she saw a crescent moon rising before her eyes—so beautiful, so desolate, and so incredibly close.
It felt as though she could reach out and touch it.
Boom!
A thunderous roar erupted.
Naraku Sora's fingers tightened, gripping the shinai firmly. The moment he raised his hand, he swung down with all his might. A violent sword pressure, wrapped in a sharp current of air, exploded outward in all directions with a deafening blast.
Unohana Retsu's eyes sharpened. She instinctively raised her blade to block. In that hair's-breadth moment, a bone-chilling aura, like a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, rose up. A thick, viscous killing intent poured out without restraint.
The tyranny of the First Kenpachi finally revealed a mere corner of the iceberg at this moment.
She presented that unreserved cruelty, stark and naked, before Naraku Sora.
The ferocious Dragon Flash sword pressure swallowed the white figure before him. Along with a sound like tearing silk, a red line appeared on her fair wrist, and blood splattered out.
The roar erupted again. The entire dojo shook suddenly, and countless specks of dust fell from the ceiling.
Unohana Retsu's movements came to an abrupt halt. She lowered her head and looked at the nearly imperceptible gash on her wrist, her eyes widening slightly.
It was unbelievable.
Even though she had clearly blocked all the attacks, her wrist had still been cut.
Was this truly just pure swordsmanship?
Unohana Retsu lowered the shinai in her hand and gazed at the wound on her pale wrist. Under the automatic flow of her Reiatsu, the wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye until it vanished completely.
Only a smear of blood remained, dotting her white skin, looking particularly striking.
After a moment of reflection, Unohana Retsu looked up at the boy before her. "The moment you raised your blade, you condensed your own strength into a single point. Through resonance with your Reiatsu, you forced the two to merge into one for a brief instant."
"As the slash erupts, the Reiatsu attached to the blade simultaneously transforms into a sword pressure that is not a bit inferior."
"One source of strength, two layers of attack."
"Quite an innovative swordsmanship technique."
An expression of astonishment appeared on Naraku Sora's face, which quickly turned into one of admiration.
From the initial surprise attack to the end of the bout, he had used the Secret Art: Dragon Flash twice in succession.
A technique that would seem exquisite and peerless to an ordinary person was seen through to its very essence by Unohana Retsu in a single glance.
Should he expect anything less from the First Kenpachi, who had mastered every style of swordsmanship in the world?
"Unprecedented creativity—whether it was the previous Ghost Sword Art or this current, creative pure swordsmanship."
Unohana Retsu's gaze flickered, lingering on the shinai in Naraku Sora's hand. "As I thought, it was right to place my hopes in you, Sora."
Unknowingly, she had changed how she addressed him once again. The smile on her face revealed an unprecedented gentleness.
"However, your biggest problem is that your basic swordsmanship is slightly lacking. This results in you being unable to exert the power you should, even if your techniques are powerful, because you lack a solid foundation."
"Sora, your current priority is to temper your basic swordsmanship."
As she finished speaking, Unohana Retsu walked slowly to the rack, placed her shinai on it, and then—under Naraku Sora's disbelieving gaze—she took off her Captain's Haori.
"?"
"Captain Unohana, what are you doing?"
Hearing this, Unohana Retsu, who was tidying her braid, looked up and gave a gentle smile. She said as a matter of course, "A Captain's Haori is very expensive."
"If it were to be unfortunately damaged in battle, it would be a great pity."
Naraku Sora took a deep breath, suddenly struck by an ominous premonition.
"Captain Unohana, what exactly do you intend to do?"
"Doing something I've been looking forward to all this time, of course."
Unohana Retsu thought for a moment, the corners of her mouth curling into an increasingly gentle smile. "Let's call it... 'indulgence' for now."
"You see, it's just like those squad members recovering in the General Relief Station. Even though the medical staff repeatedly warn them about things they must avoid, they still can't suppress the impulses and desires in their hearts."
"Although I am not quite that rebellious, I still find myself delighted by the sight of a worthy hunt."
The moment those words fell, the ominous feeling in Naraku Sora's heart intensified. A bone-chilling cold rushed from his tailbone straight to the top of his head.
It was as if endless seawater was pouring in, drowning him in an instant.
He could clearly perceive that behind Unohana Retsu's gentle smile lay a ferocious killing intent that was becoming harder and harder to conceal.
The growth of a fruit requires nurturing and watering.
Since Naraku Sora possessed such potential, she would naturally not hesitate to teach him. It would be best if she could cultivate him into his most perfect state in the shortest amount of time.
And then, she would personally harvest him.
"Sora, here I come."
The instant her voice faded, a gentle killing intent swept in like a breeze. Her exquisite face was inches away, and a faint fragrance lingered in his nostrils.
Naraku Sora instinctively raised his shinai, blocking with a backhand.
Thud!
A dull sound pierced the silence of the dojo. Naraku Sora's shinai was easily brushed aside, and he was instantly completely suppressed by a heavy force.
Unohana Retsu raised her eyes, her soft voice echoing in his ear. "Sora, take this seriously."
"Otherwise... you really will die."
In a flash, Naraku Sora's hair stood on end. A blood-red Reiatsu erupted, rapidly wrapping around the shinai. While it increased his lethality, it also gained him an extra chance at victory.
He could clearly perceive that this crazy woman was absolutely not joking; she was approaching this slaughter with a very serious attitude!
Realizing this, Naraku Sora set aside any playfulness. He looked at Unohana Retsu with a piercing gaze, and a heavy aura suddenly swept through the dojo.
"As you wish."
In the swirling gale, the killing intent was bone-deep.
In an instant, the shinai in Naraku Sora's hand whipped up a storm of blade-light. Countless dazzling sword strikes cascaded toward Unohana Retsu like a flood.
It was as if they intended to tear that slender body into shreds.
Unohana Retsu lowered her gaze, letting her heart beat like a drum. Her blood, which had cooled long ago, now turned into scorching lava, throbbing within her veins and flowing with fanaticism.
Ever since that incident, she had not encountered a young person with such potential for a very long time.
Because of a moment's self-indulgence and her own weakness, a natural-born powerhouse had been led down the path of self-sealing.
Now, a brand new opportunity was laid before her.
She must not let it slip away like before; she had to give her all to grasp it firmly!
Even if it was just basic swordsmanship, it still pressed down on Naraku Sora until he was breathless. However, his instinctive growth allowed him to adapt to this pressure with extreme speed.
It felt as if invisible currents were surging, gradually permeating every inch of his flesh. His senses became sharper than ever, and he could even clearly distinguish the traces of where the opposing shinai would land.
Relying on his superb growth, his consciousness was more active than ever. He clearly memorized the angle and trajectory of every swing, embedding them seamlessly into his physical instincts, gradually building an unbreakable foundation of swordsmanship.
Watching the boy constantly absorbing knowledge and growing wildly, Unohana Retsu could not help but blush slightly. An irrepressible excitement flashed deep within her eyes.
This was exactly what she had always craved.
Judging by this rate of progress, perhaps it wouldn't be long before Naraku Sora grew into the form she expected.
'I am waiting for it—'
'For your most perfect moment—'
Kuchiki Kōga's mood had been exceptionally cheerful lately.
Recently, several expeditions to the Rukongai to annihilate rebel Soul Reapers had ended in victorious returns, with casualties kept to an absolute minimum.
Just like the battle just now, he had relied on his own power to completely suppress the rebel Soul Reaper camp, truly achieving zero casualties for his side.
Although his unauthorized intervention had broken the original plan and once again angered Kuchiki Ginrei, Kuchiki Kōga no longer cared much about his father-in-law's thoughts.
If one were to recklessly sacrifice the lives of others just to gain recognition, how would such vile behavior be any different from those rebels?
Besides, it wasn't as if no one recognized him.
The last time he handed the rebel Soul Reaper Akio Retsu over to Naraku Sora, he had recounted the events on the battlefield in detail and received high praise from his friend.
In Naraku Sora's words: "With great power comes great responsibility."
Since he possessed this ability, he should use it well to let it shine and bring warmth to others.
Compared to his cold father-in-law, this friend of his was truly a delight.
"Lord Kōga is indeed the strongest!"
"Even without using a Zanpakutō, he can still crush the rebel army."
"With Lord Kōga here, we don't even need to fight anymore."
On the way back to the First Squad barracks, the Soul Reapers under his command were excitedly describing Kuchiki Kōga's grace in the last battle.
Everyone expressed that they had never seen a Soul Reaper fight like that.
However, at this moment worthy of celebration, a heavy Kidō Reiatsu suddenly erupted in the surrounding streets. A massive pillar of light from a barrier shot into the sky, instantly enveloping the entire street.
The crowd watched this sudden change in shock. Before they could react, a strange Reiatsu fluctuation rippled through the group like a wave.
Layers of pale purple light appeared on the Soul Reapers' Zanpakutō.
Under Kuchiki Kōga's disbelieving gaze, the comrades who had been fighting side-by-side with him actually raised their Zanpakutō one after another. Uncontrollably, they began to slash toward their own throats.
"Muramasa!"
An angry voice echoed in his inner world.
Muramasa, who had been sitting on the stone pillar in the sea, looked up blankly. Through Kuchiki Kōga's vision, he happened to see the scene occurring in the street.
"Kō-Kōga, I didn't do this."
His already bloodless face grew even paler upon seeing the scene before him.
A weak defense echoed in the inner world.
Despite Muramasa's attempts to prove his innocence, the facts were right there.
Manipulating Zanpakutō to rebel against their masters, and even using complete control to kill the Soul Reapers—this was exactly his Shikai ability.
It was an established rule that two identical Zanpakutō did not exist in the Soul Society.
Lately, Kuchiki Kōga had been deluded by a wicked person, which had already created a rift between them, even leading Kōga to give up using his Zanpakutō in battle.
Now, those comrades who once fought side-by-side appeared to be controlled by a 'Whisper' ability, and were on the verge of losing their lives.
Kōga would surely blame all the guilt on him. Was it possible that the man and the blade, who were supposed to trust each other, were destined to part ways here?
In a brief flash, countless images crossed Muramasa's mind. He even saw Kuchiki Kōga snapping him in two just to prove his own innocence.
"Can you reverse the control on these manipulated Zanpakutō?"
"?"
Kuchiki Kōga's next sentence made Muramasa stun for a moment, unable to react in time.
"Can you or can't you?"
Kuchiki Kōga's voice grew more urgent.
Muramasa finally snapped out of it. He immediately tried to use his 'Whisper' ability to interfere with the Zanpakutō controlled by the unknown power.
When his Reiatsu touched those Zanpakutō, he discovered that the faint light covering the blades was like a towering mountain—it was completely immovable.
"Kōga, I'm sorry, I—"
Before the apologetic words could be finished, Kuchiki Kōga drew his blade at top speed.
"Kijikai!"
"Mucha Jōkō Muramasa!"
A violent purple pillar of light shot into the sky. Within the swirling gale, Muramasa, dressed in a white robe, separated from Kuchiki Kōga's body.
"Quickly, use the power of Bankai to interfere with them!"
Muramasa did not hesitate for a second. He immediately raised his right hand, and a majestic Reiatsu instantly enveloped the entire street. A storm of Reishi suddenly rippled outward.
Two similar forces acted upon the crowd. The hands that were about to slash into the vital points of their necks finally stopped, frozen in place, trembling uncontrollably.
"Kōga, the opponent's power is stronger than mine!"
Muramasa felt as if he were in a tug-of-war with a giant, constantly pulling back and forth against the various Zanpakutō.
Gradually, he began to lose ground.
"Damned rats."
Kuchiki Kōga cursed under his breath, his eyes filled with rage.
Although he wasn't clear on exactly what was happening, if he didn't do something soon, these comrades who had faced life and death with him would die by their own hands.
No longer hesitating, Kuchiki Kōga erupted with a Flash Step and vanished.
Looking at the familiar face that suddenly appeared before him, the Soul Reaper's face was filled with despair. He had managed to survive the battlefield with great difficulty, only to end up dying at the hands of one of his own.
Kuchiki Kōga raised his fist, pulled his arm back, and his knotted muscles suddenly bulged, wrapped in a heavy Reiatsu.
Volcanic Burn!
A simple, unadorned straight punch landed, suddenly shattering the Zanpakutō that was about to slash the neck into two pieces.
As the crisp sound of the metal hitting the ground rang out, the Soul Reaper realized with a start that he had been released from the control.
"I... I'm not dead?"
He looked at his 'attacker' in shock, a look of disbelief on his face.
However, Kuchiki Kōga had no time to pay attention to him. There were others waiting to be saved.
The figure radiating a powerful aura darted through the crowd.
Terrifying straight punches were thrown continuously, and one Zanpakutō after another was smashed into two pieces on the spot.
For a time, the crisp sounds of breaking metal were continuous.
A crisis that should have resulted in total annihilation was nipped in the bud.
In the distance, watching Kuchiki Kōga as he tore through the crowd, Muramasa's face was filled with a complex expression.
Perhaps... that guy was right.
In a dark corner.
The face of the attacker, whose entire body was covered in Kidō Reiatsu, showed an expression of pure disbelief.
Damn it, the plan has changed!