A Training Bout

"That's why I need your guidance, Captain." Liu Hao's voice was calm, but a fierce flame burned in his golden-red eyes.

The instant he finished speaking, they clashed again.

This time, Unohana held nothing back. Her sword moved like a living thing, tracing elusive paths through the air. Every slash landed precisely in a gap in Liu Hao's defense, and every strike carried an icy killing intent.

Liu Hao fought back with everything he had, but the gap between them was simply too great.

The first slash swept across his left shoulder, spraying blood.

The second grazed his side, leaving a wound deep enough to expose bone.

The third, the fourth, the fifth...

Liu Hao retreated and blocked again and again, but the wounds on his body kept multiplying. Blood stained his white uniform red, leaving a mottled trail across the ground. His breathing grew ragged, and the hand gripping his sword began to tremble.

Yet his gaze never wavered.

The battle lasted about a quarter of an hour. When Liu Hao was driven back once again and fell to one knee, his entire body was covered in wounds. Blood trickled down his cheek and fell to the ground with a faint drip.

Unohana lowered her sword and stood over him. "Use your Shikai. You can't continue in your current condition."

Liu Hao struggled to raise his head and gave a bitter smile. "That's true... If I don't use the power of my Shikai, I really can't go on."

He paused, sincerity in his voice. "But honestly, I don't want to use my Shikai. That would be... too unfair to you."

"Fair?" Unohana chuckled, her smile carrying the pride of a swordswoman with a thousand years of experience. "Fairness presupposes equal strength. As you are now, you have no right to speak of fairness when facing me."

Liu Hao was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. "You're right."

He looked down at the Zanpakuto in his hand, its blade reflecting his battered appearance. Taking a deep breath, he slowly straightened and gently brushed his left hand along the spine of the sword.

"Then—" Liu Hao closed his eyes and opened them again, golden-red light blazing in them. "Let's make a real mess of things."

He held the sword horizontally before his chest and spoke each word deliberately:

"Leave your sheath, Imperial Sword."

Golden-red light erupted from the blade. The Zanpakuto transformed and lengthened within the light, finally becoming that ancient-looking eight-sided Han sword. The dragon patterns on the blade swam, and the inscriptions took on a blood-red sheen.

But unlike before, this time the Imperial Sword's form was more complete. The dragon's head at the guard was more lifelike, and the Reiatsu radiating from the sword was more than twice as strong as before.

Liu Hao looked at the sword in his hand, a trace of satisfaction in his eyes. "Not bad. This time... you're not being difficult."

As soon as he spoke, a cool, commanding female voice came from the blade:

"The Imperial Sword has always been this sword's Shikai form. It was only because you lacked the ability that you never truly completed Shikai, even when you spoke the full release command."

The moment the voice appeared, the entire space fell silent.

Surprise flashed in Unohana's eyes. Looking at the sword that seemed to possess a life of its own, she spoke slowly. "What a... proud sword."

She turned her gaze on Liu Hao, her tone appraising. "You haven't even fully subdued your own sword. How do you expect to please me?"

Liu Hao smiled bitterly and looked down at the Imperial Sword in his hand. "Actually... I've always known what the Imperial Sword should look like after Shikai. I also knew that its previous Shikai wasn't incomplete. She... deliberately concealed part of her power."

He paused, a trace of self-mockery in his voice. "To be honest, I enjoyed it too. I always wanted to fight with my own hands. Perhaps that was what made her dissatisfied."

Unohana narrowed her eyes, her expression turning serious. "Is that so? Then if you intend to keep fighting me with this incomplete Shikai..."

Her voice grew cold.

"You'll die."

Liu Hao took a deep breath and slowly raised the Imperial Sword. He pointed its tip at Unohana, his gaze resolute. "Let's try it."

The moment the words left his mouth, something changed.

White mist began to rise from Liu Hao's wounds, the wounds Unohana had cut deep enough to expose bone. Within the mist, they healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Flesh and skin regenerated, blood flowed back, and the injuries vanished. Only his torn clothing remained as proof that the wounds he had just suffered had not been an illusion.

The entire process took no more than three breaths.

When the white mist cleared, Liu Hao's injuries had mostly healed. Though his clothes were in tatters, his skin was as smooth as before, without a single scar.

Unohana's pupils contracted slightly. "A healing ability? It looks a little like... High-Speed Regeneration."

"Just a basic ability." Liu Hao moved his arm, his tone calm.

"A basic ability..." Unohana repeated, a meaningful glint in her eyes. "Then let's begin the next part of the battle."

Before she finished speaking, she vanished like a ghost.

Liu Hao's pupils contracted sharply, and he instinctively held the Imperial Sword across his body.

"Clang—!"

Their blades collided, sending sparks flying. This time, Liu Hao did not retreat. He gritted his teeth and raised his Reiatsu to its limit, and the golden-red light on the Imperial Sword blazed brighter.

The battle began again.

But the situation had not fundamentally changed.

Unohana's sword remained as sharp and elusive as ever. Like a beast toying with its prey, she placed every attack just right, injuring Liu Hao without bringing him down immediately.

New wounds kept appearing on Liu Hao's arms, thighs, chest, and back. Every one was deep enough to expose bone, and blood flew.

But each time he was injured, white mist poured from the Imperial Sword and quickly healed his wounds. Liu Hao's clothes grew more and more torn, until they were little more than strips of cloth, but his body remained fully capable of fighting.

It was a battle of attrition.

Liu Hao relied on the Imperial Sword's healing ability to force himself to keep fighting. Unohana, meanwhile, used her exquisite swordsmanship to wound him again and again.

The two moved at high speed through the white space, their flashing blades weaving a dance of death. Liu Hao's swordsmanship constantly adjusted and evolved during the battle. He began to learn Unohana's rhythm, anticipate her attacks, and attempt counterattacks.

But the gap remained.

At last, after another fierce clash, Liu Hao retreated more than ten zhang and fell to one knee. Supporting himself with the Imperial Sword, he gasped for breath.

He had expended most of his Reiatsu, and his stamina was nearing its limit. His wounds could heal, but the drain on his energy was very real.

Unohana lowered her sword and stood there, spotless. Looking at the battered Liu Hao, she spoke slowly. "All right, that's enough for today."

She walked up to Liu Hao and looked down at him. "Your Zanpakuto's ability is quite good. It has a healing ability similar to High-Speed Regeneration. But your fighting style... is still very immature."

Her tone was even, but every word cut like a blade. "Train hard from now on. Your current strength isn't enough to please me."

With that, she turned and left. A white door in the space opened behind her, and she disappeared through it.

Liu Hao was left alone in the space.

He knelt there, panting for a long time before slowly getting to his feet. He looked down at the Imperial Sword in his hand. The dragon patterns on its blade were still swimming slowly, as though the fierce battle had been nothing more than a warm-up for it.

"Imperial Princess," Liu Hao said softly, "have I been... too willful? I've kept suppressing you. Otherwise, I wouldn't have ended up in such a sorry state today."

The cool female voice came from the blade again:

"Everything was your own choice. I am only your power."

"Yes..." Liu Hao smiled bitterly. "But if I can't defeat an enemy myself and have to rely on you to beat them... then what does that make me?"

This time, the Imperial Sword fell silent for a moment.

Only after a long while did the voice sound again, its tone seemingly tinged with something... complicated.

"It seems I underestimated you, my king. But as you are now, there's no need to rush. First, let us fully master our own power. Then we can talk."

Liu Hao tightened his grip on the hilt, golden-red flames silently kindling in his palm.

"You're right."

In the days that followed, Liu Hao's life became exceptionally busy.

During the day, he was responsible for training the medical escort squad. He divided the squad into several groups and devised different training plans based on each member's strengths. Weighted runs, Zanjutsu sparring, Kidō coordination, and simulated rescues were all arranged in an orderly schedule.

He not only instructed them himself, but also frequently invited Soul Reapers from other divisions to teach.

Ikkaku Madarame of the 11th Division was invited to teach practical combat skills. Although the bald Third Seat had a fiery temper, he had unique insights into combat. He taught the squad members how to stay calm in a melee and how to find a chance of survival in desperate circumstances.

Kaien Shiba of the Thirteenth Division also came occasionally. He brought his experience of combining water control with combat. Although Liu Hao deliberately kept his distance from him, the two could still exchange professional insights on the training ground.

There were also Renji Abarai of Squad Six, Rangiku Matsumoto of the Tenth Division, and even Marechiyo Ōmaeda of the Second Division... Whenever time allowed, Liu Hao invited them to share their experience.

Under the guidance of these "outside instructors," the medical escort squad's members progressed rapidly.

Liu Hao himself devoted all his free time to personal training.

He no longer took shifts at the General Treatment Center, entrusting all medical work to the other seated officers. He trained the squad during the day and trained alone at night: Tōzen, Reiatsu control, Zanjutsu practice, and the study of Kidō.

His strength advanced by leaps and bounds through relentless daily training.

But the one thing he wanted most, personal guidance from Unohana, never came. Since their battle, Unohana had not sought him out again. Even when they occasionally met at the barracks, she merely nodded slightly and hurried past.

It was as though that day's training had been an illusion.

Liu Hao knew this was Unohana's test. If he could not even endure a setback like this, he was not worthy of her guidance.

So he could only wait, training as he did.

And the way he trained was by speaking with the Imperial Sword, or rather, by fighting the Imperial Princess.

One day, Liu Hao returned to the white space.

He sat cross-legged, laid the Imperial Sword across his knees, and prepared to enter Tōzen. This was how he communicated with the Imperial Princess, and also the most direct way for him to train his Zanpakuto.

But this time, something changed.

The Imperial Sword at his waist entered Shikai on its own, without his command.

Golden-red light poured from the scabbard, and the Zanpakuto transformed into an eight-sided Han sword, floating in midair. Immediately afterward, a streak of light separated from the blade, gathering and taking shape in the air.

At last, it became a woman.

She wore a long golden-red dress with swimming dragons embroidered along its hem. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, stirring gently in the windless air. Her face was breathtakingly beautiful, but she carried an imposing air that kept others at a distance. Most striking of all were her eyes: their golden-red pupils were identical to Liu Hao's.

She floated in the air, looking down at Liu Hao.

"Imperial Princess..." Liu Hao slowly rose to his feet, surprise flashing in his eyes. "You came out on your own."

"Because you've finally reached the point where you can train for Bankai." The Imperial Princess's cool voice echoed through the empty space. "In truth, you crossed that threshold long ago, but your practical combat ability was too weak. Even if I appeared, you couldn't defeat me."

She slowly descended, the hem of her long dress spreading around her. "But now you have a slim chance. That's why I came out."

Her gaze was sharp as a sword. "But materialized as I am, I'm far stronger than I was in your consciousness during Tōzen... So be careful."

The instant she finished speaking, the Imperial Princess appeared before Liu Hao.

Her hand closed around empty air, and a sword identical to the Imperial Sword formed in her palm. Without giving Liu Hao any time to prepare, she brought it down.

Liu Hao's pupils contracted, and he instantly drew his sword to block.

"Clang...!"

A tremendous impact sent Liu Hao sliding back several zhang. He looked at the Imperial Princess in shock. The force of that strike had far exceeded his expectations.

"This is only the beginning." The Imperial Princess's voice was icy.

The next moment, the battle erupted.

This time, it was no longer a spar with their Reiatsu suppressed, nor a practice bout in which they held back. Liu Hao and the Imperial Princess both raised their Reiatsu to the limit and fought with everything they had.

Golden-red Reiatsu collided and surged through the space. Sword light flashed like rainbows, and every clash sent dazzling sparks flying. The two figures moved through the space at such speed that they left afterimages in their wake.

This was not merely a contest of swordsmanship.

Flames sprang from Liu Hao's sword, becoming a fire dragon that lunged at the Imperial Princess. She merely raised a hand and waved it, and a Water Curtain appeared out of nowhere, swallowing the fire dragon.

Before the Water Curtain had dissipated, the Imperial Princess pointed back with one hand. The ground split open, and countless stone spikes burst from beneath it, rushing toward Liu Hao.

Liu Hao leaped into the air, dodging the spikes as he swung his sword. Dozens of swords of light formed behind him and shot toward the Imperial Princess like a rain of arrows.

The Imperial Princess neither dodged nor evaded. She simply opened her palm. The swords of light stopped abruptly before her, then reversed direction and flew back at Liu Hao.

The two traded blows, using one ability after another. Flames, water, stone, metal, plants... The power of the five elements surged through the space, colliding in brilliant and dangerous flashes.

The commotion finally drew attention outside.

In the Fourth Division Captain's office, Unohana was reviewing documents. Suddenly, she raised her head, surprise flashing in her eyes.

Almost at the same time, Isane Kotetsu hurriedly pushed the door open and entered, shock on her face. "Captain, did you feel that? Fifth Seat Liu Hao's Reiatsu... and another Reiatsu from the same source as his, yet completely different, are clashing fiercely!"

Unohana put down her brush and slowly rose. "I felt it."

A glimmer of excitement flashed in her eyes. "Come on, let's take a look."

The two left the captain's office and followed the fluctuations of Reiatsu, soon arriving before an ancient-looking wooden door. The fluctuations coming from beyond it were even more violent, and the entire corridor was trembling slightly.

They pushed open the door and saw a startling sight.

In the white space, Liu Hao was fighting fiercely with a woman in a long golden-red dress. Both had fully released their Reiatsu, and they used one ability after another, turning the entire space into a battlefield.

Isane Kotetsu's eyes widened as she stared at the woman in disbelief. "She's... so beautiful. Is that... Fifth Seat Liu Hao's materialized Zanpakuto? Is he training for Bankai?"

"No." Unohana shook her head gently, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "This isn't Bankai training."

Her gaze remained fixed on the two in the battlefield. "Fifth Seat Liu Hao has always suppressed his Reiatsu in his previous battles. He seemed to be afraid of something, so there was always a sense of restraint to his fighting."

She paused, the corners of her mouth curving upward. "And now, his Zanpakuto is guiding him... to abandon that restraint and release his true power. He's finally... starting to grow."

On the battlefield, the fight between Liu Hao and the Imperial Princess had reached its most intense point.

Flames became phoenixes, water became flood dragons, stone became giant beasts, and metal became rains of swords. Their abilities emerged one after another, turning the entire space into an ocean of elements.

Isane Kotetsu watched in astonishment. "Captain, Fifth Seat Liu Hao's Zanpakuto... why can it control water and fire at the same time? It can even control stone? And those blades and swords that appear out of nowhere... What kind of ability is this?"

Unohana narrowed her eyes, carefully sensing every fluctuation of Reiatsu on the battlefield. "I'm not sure. But judging from the abilities he's shown, they seem to be related to the five elements... Apart from the power of wood, which hasn't fully manifested yet, metal, water, fire, and earth have all appeared."

She paused, then added, "Perhaps that healing ability similar to High-Speed Regeneration is a manifestation of the power of wood."

"Controlling the five elements..." Isane Kotetsu drew a sharp breath. "Isn't that... too powerful?"

"Yes." Unohana nodded, but a trace of doubt flashed in her eyes. "It really is a powerful Zanpakuto. But I can't shake the feeling... that his abilities don't end there."

She watched the two fighting fiercely on the battlefield. The clash of their Reiatsu had begun to affect the outside world. Ripples spread across the spatial barrier, and the fluctuations of Reiatsu even showed signs of penetrating the space.

Unohana frowned slightly and said to Isane Kotetsu, "Isane, step back a little."

Isane Kotetsu stepped back as instructed.

Unohana formed seals with both hands and chanted softly. As she chanted, a transparent barrier slowly took shape around the white space, enclosing it completely.

The moment the barrier formed, the Reiatsu fluctuations within could no longer be felt outside.

"Since he's always hidden himself," Unohana said softly, looking at the battlefield inside the barrier, "I imagine he doesn't want to be discovered. He's caused too much commotion now, but he himself... doesn't seem to have noticed."

Inside the barrier, the battle between Liu Hao and the Imperial Princess continued.

Both were covered in wounds, but their gazes burned even hotter. Fighting spirit blazed in Liu Hao's golden-red eyes, while a complex light flickered in the Imperial Princess's eyes: satisfaction, anticipation, and an emotion difficult to put into words.

"Not enough!" The Imperial Princess drove Liu Hao back with a slash, authority ringing in her voice. "If this is all you can do, you'll never be able to fully wield me!"

Liu Hao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze resolute. "Then... let's continue!"

He charged again, the Imperial Sword colliding with the materialized Imperial Princess's sword.

Golden-red light illuminated the entire white space within the barrier.

Outside the barrier, Unohana quietly watched it all, a smile appearing on her face—a smile in the truest sense, one she had not shown in a thousand years.

"Finally... this is getting interesting."