Beowulf

Inner World

Hu passed through the door drawn by Jiku'a and stepped into the eroded city ruins.

The stone slabs beneath his feet were slippery, and the air was thick with the smells of rust and sulfur. Collapsed stone pillars and shattered archways lined both sides, and a dark red light seeped from the cracks in the ground, staining the entire area a sickly crimson hue. This was the city beneath the Demon World Tree in his Inner World, but the entire city had been corrupted and transformed into a dungeon—a cage constructed from the memories of the Beast of Light, the very one that had imprisoned it for two thousand years.

Hu walked side by side with Jiku'a, blue light flashing in their silver eyes. They were fully Concentration, their senses extending in all directions.

He is on guard.

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the dome. White light poured down like a waterfall, illuminating the damp stone walls until they were completely transparent. Beast of Light stepped out from the light—a wolf's head, eagle's claws, a scorpion's tail, and four wings, each feather burning with pure white flames. Its only remaining right eye glared at the newcomer, burning with rage, for it had caught the scent of Sparda blood.

"Sparda..." Beowulf, the Beast of Light, roared, like rusty iron scraping against each other, "Two thousand years..."

Although only the Roars came from the beast's mouth, Amber understood them. Perhaps it was because they were currently in the Inner World that Amber could clearly understand what it wanted to express.

How did this thing end up here?

"The Dangai is truly a wondrous place; countless spaces and times intertwine, allowing this thing to be constructed within your body."

"How should we handle this?"

"It's eroding your heart, so it's the enemy! There's only one way to deal with an enemy."

After saying Jiku'a slowly transformed into her Zanpakuto form. Amber grasped Jiku'a and smiled, "You're right."

Even when facing the Beast of Light, Amber dared not be careless, since this was the Inner World, and the external seal had little effect here.

"You... Sparda..." The Beast of Light stared at him, "The scent is similar... descendants... hatred..."

Dangai

At the same time, in the gray void of the Dangai, the Kōryū flow slowly under the suppression of the Reiatsu of the Tsukabishi, like a tamed snake.

Amber's body hovered in mid-air, her eyes closed, a tuft of white hair on her forehead glowing faintly. Jiku'a lay across her lap, the blade trembling slightly, emitting a low hum. The phantom of the Beast of Light slowly coalesced behind her—a wolf's head, eagle claws, a scorpion's tail, and four wings, each feather burning with pure white flames. The phantom had no physical form, yet it exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.

"This is..." Yoruichi stared at the illusory figure behind Amber, her brows furrowed.

"I don't know. There are many unsolved mysteries Dangai." Urahara said, staring at the strange changes on Amber's body. "Is it a manifestation of the power within Amber's body, or is it caused by a creature within the Dangai...?"

Yoruichi gritted her teeth. "So, what's controlling him in this current state?"

"Not entirely." Urahara adjusted his hat. "I can vaguely sense the fluctuations of Zanjutsu meditation; his consciousness is still intact, but his body has been taken over by the will of that phantom. Or rather, Amber is trying to regain control within him. Look into his eyes—"

Yoruichi looked into Amber's eyes. The light in her silver pupils clashed violently with the white light, as if they were locked in a battle.

The phantom of the Beast of Light lowered its head, its eyes, burning with white light, locking onto Yoruichi.

"Sparda..." it let out a deep the Roar, and Amber's body moved.

"Sparda?" Yoruichi asked, a little puzzled. "Am I Sparda?"

Inner World

The Beast of Light struck first. Its forehooves shattered the stone slabs, and its entire body transformed into a white lightning bolt, crashing straight into Amber. Its speed and power reached their peak—any ordinary Soul Reaper would have been reduced to dust long ago.

Amber used the Summoned Swords to teleport instantly above its head.

His Concentration state transformed into a blurry afterimage in his hand, his figure flashing past the trajectory of the Beast of Light's charge, as fast as a blue arc of light, hovering precisely in front of the one-eyed creature. The Beast of Light raised its eagle claws and swept them horizontally, its sharp claws tearing through the air with a shriek, only half an inch away from his body—and Hu had already vanished again.

The Beast of Light was enraged. It flapped its wings violently, and countless feathers of light scattered like a torrential rain, covering every corner of the dungeon. The feathers of light pierced the stone walls, exploding into bursts of white flame, and the chains of the cage were melted into molten iron.

Hu didn't retreat a single step. His figure flickered continuously among the streaks of light—one moment retreating, the next hovering in mid-air, then turning to the side—each teleportation brushed past the light streaks, so close that the hissing sound of the feathers burning the air could be heard. The Beast of Light's single eye spun frantically, trying to capture his trajectory, but could only see a blue afterimage weaving and tracing a cold arc through the Light Rain.

He then landed three meters in front of the Beast of Light. The Jiku'a went back into its sheath.

"You're too slow."

The Beast of Light's single eye glared wide. It roared and swung out a huge iron cage—a prisoner's cage it had torn from the top of the dungeon, weighing over a thousand pounds—which crashed down on Amber, wreathed in flames.

Hu neither dodged nor evaded. He pressed his right hand on the hilt of the sword, his thumb pushing open the guard, revealing a sliver of cold light on the blade. Just as the iron cage was about to crush his head—he drew his sword.

An upward slash. Jiku'a's blade sliced upwards in a silver crescent shape, cleaving the iron cage in two, the crack smooth as a mirror. The momentum didn't stop; Hu leaped into the air, taking the massive body of the Beast of Light with him. Then, the blade transformed into a rain of blows—a series of aerial slashes, each striking the Beast of Light's torso with incredible speed. Several gashes were sliced open in the Beast of Light's wings, white light gushing from the wounds, blindingly bright.

Hu sheathed his sword and used the recoil to leap backward, creating distance. The Beast of Light the Roar and slammed into the ground, shaking the entire dungeon. As it stood up, a large circle of purple light exploded around it, spreading outwards in dense clusters—its counterattack, specifically designed to counter close-quarters combat.

Hu had already retreated to a safe distance. He lightly raised his right hand, and five Summoned Swords appeared behind him, their tips all aimed at the Beast of Light. The Summoned Swords spun and shot out, transforming into a blue sword array in the air, completely surrounding the Beast of Light. The Beast of Light swung its claws to block, its light wings flapping violently, trying to break free—but the Summoned Swords were like a leech, constantly piercing its body from various angles. Its movements began to slow down, and each claw swing required many times more effort than before.

Meanwhile, within the Dangai, Amber, driven by the phantom of the Beast of Light, launched a fierce attack on Yoruichi.

A flash of light appeared beneath Amber's feet, and his figure vanished from his spot, reappearing in front of Yoruichi the next second, unleashing a punch. At this moment, Beowulf's light was no longer blue, but a dazzling white. The light from the exploding fist blinded Yoruichi.

Yoruichi took a step back, but Amber's fist had already caught up. She blocked, but was knocked back several steps, her arm going numb.

"This guy—" Yoruichi shook her hand, "His strength is more than double what it was before."

Amber gave her no chance to catch her breath. He threw punches in quick succession, and with each punch, the phantom of the Beast of Light the Roar behind him. The phantom punched in sync with him, like his shadow, and like his true form. Yoruichi gritted her teeth and used her Shunpo to weave through the gaps between the punches.

"Kisuke! What's going on?!" she shouted.

"His consciousness is fighting in his Inner World." Urahara stared at Amber. "This is just a projection. But the power of the projection depends on the battle within his Inner World."

"How long am I supposed to drag this out?"

"Let him win."

Yoruichi deep breath and assumed a fighting stance again. "Easy for you to say..."

She went to meet it head-on. This time she didn't dodge, but met it head-on. Fists and feet clashed, and each strike caused the Kōryū Dangai churn.

"Amber!" she shouted, "Didn't you want to become stronger? You can't even control your own body, what are you talking about becoming stronger for!"

Hu's body paused for a moment. A blue light suddenly shone brightly beneath her tightly closed eyelids.

Inner World

Before the sword formation dissipated, Hu had already changed into the Beowulf gauntlets—though he didn't yet possess the actual Beowulf Armament. He was projecting Beowulf's image, with blue light patterns dancing on his fists. But that aura was enough to make the Beast of Light's single eye slightly contract.

"Thief..."

He shook his arms, and the surface of his gauntlets lit up with a dazzling blue light—he was charging up. One second, two seconds, three seconds. The fully charged energy condensed into the Heat light core on the gauntlets, distorting and deforming the air itself.

The Summoned Swords exploded simultaneously.

The Beast of Light, freed from its restraints, immediately raised its single eye—only to see Amber already directly above its head, its right leg raised high, the light patterns on its foot pulsating to their fullest extent.

Meteor Fall.

Hu transformed into a falling meteor, his right leg, imbued with pent-up light power, slamming into the head of the Beast of Light. A dull thud exploded as the Beast of Light's head was smashed into the stone floor, cracks spreading in all directions. White light burst forth from all parts of its body, a sign that the power of light had gone out of control.

Hu gave it no chance to catch its breath. He stepped on the head of the Beast of Light, leaped up with his left leg, then raised his right leg again—and stomped down. He leaped up again, stomped down again. The Moon Wheel Combo. One kick after another, as continuous as the phases of the moon, each strike landing on the same spot. The skull of the Beast of Light cracked, its light wings pounding the ground wildly, the shockwaves scattering the surrounding rocks in all directions.

But Amber's rhythm remained perfectly steady. His eyes were as cold as wells, and his lips were devoid of any smile. This was the execution of the enemy who had invaded Amber's Inner World.

As the seventh kick landed, fear finally flashed in the Beast of Beast of Light's single eye. Two thousand years ago, Sparda imprisoned it; two thousand years later, this young man with Sparda blood was crushing its skull. With all its might, it raised its scorpion tail, the venomous stinger at the tip piercing Amber's back—

Amber teleported in front of it. The Jiku'a was already in its hand.

"Void Blade Realm."

With a swift, fluid motion, Jiku'a drew and sheathed his sword. His blade left a perfect spherical arc of sword energy in the air, severing the Beast of Light's head along with its scorpion tail. The Beast of Light's body froze in place, white light surging wildly from the severed wound, illuminating the entire dungeon and eclipsing its color.

With a deafening roar, the enormous body of the Beast of Light collapsed.

Its body turned into specks of light and slowly dissipated, but in the last moment before it vanished, a glimmer of clarity flashed in its remaining right eye.

"You are not..." Its voice weakened, no longer the Roar, but a whisper, "You are not... that blue one... you are not... Vergil..."

Amber stood before it, Jiku'a drooped at its sides.

"Who are you?" the Beast of Light asked.

"Yexing Hu," he said, "I am a Soul Reaper."

The Beast of Light was silent for a moment. Then it laughed, a deep laugh with a hint of something Amber couldn't understand.

"Soul Reaper... I... am I already dead...?" It looked at the Beowulf light on Amber's hand, "Soul Reaper... on your body... is Sparda... blood... blue... a mark left on you... very deep... indelible... and incomplete..."

Its voice grew weaker and weaker.

"The blood of Sparda... flows in your veins... the same as that blue... yet different..."

Hu did not speak.

"What... will you... do with this power?"

Hu lowered his head, looking at the Beowulf Armament that was gathering in his hand. The gauntlet gradually solidified from a phantom image, with light patterns flowing across its surface.

"Protect, protect everything I want to protect!" Amber said.

The Beast of Light remained silent for a long time, then with a sigh, its body completely disintegrated, turning into a Light Rain. At the center of the Light Rain, a pair of jet-black gauntlets and gaiters slowly took shape—the true Beowulf Armament. No longer a phantom condensed by the Jiku'a, but a magical artifact formed from the soul of the Beast of Light.

Hu reached out and caught them.

At that moment, he felt a powerful force surge into his body. It was different from other Reiatsu, and it didn't feel like Zanpakuto. It was something deeper—the two-thousand-year obsession of the Beast of Light, and its last whisper.

"Sparda blood..."

He clenched his fists, and the light patterns stabilized, as if they had recognized a new master.

Sheathed the sword.

The dungeon began to dissipate, and the city gradually returned to its original state.

Back in the Dangai, Amber, who had been manipulated by the phantom of the Beast of Light, suddenly stopped.

The illusory image slowly dissipated, transforming into countless points of light that merged into Amber's body. Amber hovered in mid-air, her eyes slowly opening. The wild light in her silver pupils faded, restoring their original color.

Beowulf Armament solidified on his hands—black gauntlets with white, shimmering patterns on their surface, like some kind of ancient rune.

Yoruichi stood before him, drenched in sweat, her tight-fitting clothes bearing several burn marks. She panted, staring at Kou.

"You're awake?"

"What is that...?" She stared at the weapon in Amber's hand.

"This is probably Beowulf." Urahara's voice was calm. "The real Beowulf... I never imagined there was a technique that could only be performed in the Dangai."

Hu landed on the ground, clenching his fist. The gauntlets fit his palm perfectly, with light patterns flowing across their surface, radiating warm energy.

"How are you feeling?" Urahara asked.

Hu was silent for a moment. "It's very heavy, and very strong. I probably can't maintain my full power for very long right now."

"I see." Urahara smiled. "Then that concludes today's training. Go back and get some rest, and we'll continue next time."

Amber nodded and followed Urahara out of the Senkaimon.

By the time Hu returned to Bamboo Creek Plain, it was already completely dark again.

He sat on a rock by the river, looking at the Beowulf Armament in his hands. The gauntlets bore faint wolf-tooth patterns, like the fangs of the Beast of Light. He closed his eyes; the Beast of Light's last words still echoed in his ears.

"You have Sparda blood... the same as that blue one... yet different..."

He didn't know what Sparda blood meant. But he knew, as he said, that he would use this power to protect everything he wanted to protect.

The moonlight spilled onto the river, shimmering with a silvery glow. In the distance, the lights of Bamboo Creek Plain went out one by one.

Hu stood up and walked towards the direction of the Fon Clan.

Training continues tomorrow. And his journey is far from over.