Seireitei, the underground training ground of Masatsuki Aozaki.
"This time, we're fighting to determine victory or defeat—not life or death."
Masatsuki Aozaki looked down at Retsu Unohana, her long hair now loose, no longer tied into its usual braids. He smiled, his gaze momentarily lingering on the striking scar just below her collarbone.
"Are you afraid you'll lose your life here? You weren't like this before. Or has living in comfort all these years dulled your fighting spirit?"
Unohana frowned, her eyes turning cold as a trace of disappointment flickered across her face.
"I just don't want to lose you," Masatsuki replied. "That's why I'm letting you know in advance."
Even someone with low emotional intelligence could tell that Unohana was already upset, but her icy demeanor did nothing to shake Masatsuki's resolve.
Unohana was briefly stunned before shaking her head with a small smile. "You've certainly grown bolder than before." She exhaled softly before continuing, "Fine. I can agree to that. There's no need for us to fight to the death."
"If I were to kill the Captain-Commander's most prized disciple, I doubt he would let me live."
"But you know my abilities. As long as there's a single breath left in you, I can heal almost any wound. So you better not hold back."
"Even if you lose today, with your talent, you'll only keep growing stronger. We can keep fighting for eternity."
As she finished speaking, Unohana's expression suddenly shifted. A chilling, eerie grin stretched across her face, exuding a sinister air like a demon straight from the depths of hell.
"Ah... yes! Let's fight for eternity!" Masatsuki's mouth twisted into a manic grin, his once-handsome features warping with unrestrained excitement. "Entertain me, Retsu Unohana!"
"You really are... exactly the man I set my sights on!" Unohana's breath hitched, her face flushed with exhilaration, eyes burning with wild anticipation. "Finally... finally... this day has come!"
Without hesitation, she drew her Zanpakutō, her entire body trembling with barely contained excitement.
Masatsuki chuckled.
He had to admit—she was absolutely insane.
But she was exactly his kind of insane.
"Come."
There was no need for further words. Everything had led to this moment.
Unohana raised her long, curved katana, its chilling gleam brimming with murderous intent.
...
Whoosh!
In an instant, she vanished.
Fueled by her Reiatsu, her speed exploded beyond comprehension, tearing through the air with deafening sonic cracks. Shockwaves of Reishi rippled outward in her wake, distorting the very atmosphere around them.
Facing Yamamoto's acknowledged monster of a prodigy, Unohana saw no reason to hold back. Nor did she have the luxury of doing so.
With her Reiatsu unleashed in full force, she moved even faster than Yoruichi Shihōin—the Flash Goddess herself, whom even Yamamoto had acknowledged as the fastest in the Gotei 13.
She was moving at a speed so unfathomable that most captains—someone like Kensei Muguruma, for example—would struggle to even track her movements.
A sudden gust of wind howled toward Masatsuki, carrying with it an overwhelming force.
Unfazed, he charged forward to meet her head-on, his eyes locking onto the gradually emerging silhouette before him. His grip on his blade tightened.
Clang!
A sharp, deafening clash rang through the air.
Banshō Senran and Minazuki collided, sending shockwaves of spiritual energy bursting outward.
Reishi rippled from the impact, forming violent gusts that whipped through the battlefield, sending both of their long hair wildly fluttering in the wind.
Masatsuki held firm.
Unohana, however, was forced to take a step back.
Her grip on her katana instantly shifted—both hands now grasping the hilt as she barely managed to steady herself.
A flicker of shock crossed her face.
Despite their Reiatsu being equal, how was she losing in sheer brute strength?
She had always been absolutely confident in her own power. Yet now, faced with undeniable reality, she felt a rare moment of confusion and disbelief.
It was only at this moment that Unohana truly realized—
The young man standing before her was no longer the boy she had once known.
The timid child who once hesitated before her had long since disappeared.
Now, in his place, stood a true warrior.
If it had been any other captain—a weaker one—taking this strike without releasing their Zanpakutō...
The consequences would have been disastrous.
At best, they'd suffer severe injuries.
At worst...
They'd be dead before they even realized what happened.
Except that she was the greatest criminal in the history of Soul Society—one of the strongest Shinigami in the Gotei 13.
"As expected... You're strong..."
This power...
It was monstrous.
Impossible to understand, and even more impossible to accept.
She couldn't fathom how this young man was capable of wielding such terrifying strength.
Unohana snapped back to reality, but instead of fear or doubt, her smile only widened. The excitement in her eyes burned hotter, her exhilaration impossible to conceal.
A fight is only fun when your opponent is strong. What's the point of trampling the weak?
"You truly are the man I acknowledged!"
"Masatsuki, only a man like you is worthy of being my lifelong rival!"
As her words fell, blue Reiatsu visibly surged from her body, rippling outward.
Slash!
Another slash!
And another—relentless, unceasing!
Unohana paused for a brief moment, scanning her surroundings, before gripping her katana tightly in both hands, holding it horizontally before her chest.
With her Reiatsu crackling around her, she lunged again.
More sword strikes came flying, too many to discern whether they were feints or real attacks.
It was just like that lesson decades ago—back when she was the teacher and he was the student.
But now, they stood as equals.
She didn't hesitate. She didn't think about the outcome.
The storm of blades roared forth once more.
What is battle?
Just swing your sword!
...
Masatsuki Aozaki didn't retreat.
Instead, he stepped forward, right into the eye of the storm.
His long blade flickered like a phantom, dazzling to the eye.
Heavy. Swift.
Unohana let instinct take over, her body moving purely on battle-honed reflex. There was no need for thought—her sword knew what to do.
Completely immersed in the fight, she moved like an elegant dancer, Minazuki slicing through the air with a shrill whistle.
At point-blank range, Masatsuki intercepted every slash, blocking from every possible angle.
This man is nothing like that child.
A sharp pain suddenly flared from the old wound on her chest.
If that child had been a wild, reckless beast...
Then this man was a true swordsman—just like her.
Her body was starting to struggle to keep up with his pace.
It didn't make sense.
She had fought for centuries before sealing away her blade. Her swordsmanship had been forged through endless bloodshed and agony. How could she be falling behind this man?
Yet the reality was undeniable.
No matter how she swung, he blocked it. No matter how cunning her angles, he saw through them all.
Bloodstains multiplied across her body—none fatal, but enough to tell her the truth.
He was holding back.
Unacceptable.
A true battle had no place for mercy—not for oneself, nor for one's opponent.
"This isn't enough," Unohana declared, her blade flashing as she struck again.
"You do intend to conquer me... don't you?"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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