Unohana vs. Imperial Princess (II)

"Why is this happening?" Intense confusion welled up in Unohana. She stared fixedly at Imperial Princess, trying to find an answer in her expression.

This was not the first time she had seen a Zanpakuto materialize. Throughout Soul Society's history, few Soul Reapers had been able to materialize their Zanpakuto and speak with them, but there had always been a few in every era. Kisuke Urahara, Byakuya Kuchiki, Kenpachi Zaraki... They had all reached that level.

But without exception, the power of those materialized Zanpakuto depended entirely on their owners. A Zanpakuto was only as strong as its owner's Reiatsu; its condition was only as good as its owner's.

That was a law universally recognized in Soul Society.

Yet Imperial Princess had broken it.

Liu Hao had clearly exhausted his Reiryoku, suffered grave injuries, and nearly lost consciousness, but Imperial Princess's power had not diminished in the slightest. Instead, she had grown stronger throughout the battle, approaching—no, reaching the pinnacle of Captain-level power.

It defied common sense.

Imperial Princess seemed to see through Unohana's confusion. She smiled faintly and raised the Imperial Sword before her. The dragon pattern on its blade moved slowly in the light, its golden-red sheen like flowing lava.

"That's because he hasn't grown enough to withstand the full power of this sword." A complex emotion colored Imperial Princess's voice. "So most of the power within it has remained sealed and suppressed, waiting for him to grow."

She gently stroked the blade, as tenderly as if she were caressing a lover's cheek. "My power, on the other hand, comes from the sword itself. As long as its power remains, I can use it directly—whether he can withstand it or not, whether he wants me to or not."

Unohana's gaze fell on the Imperial Sword, and her brow furrowed deeply. "A Zanpakuto's power should grow alongside its owner. Yet you say this sword contains sealed power he cannot withstand..."

"Is that really so?" Imperial Princess interrupted, a trace of mockery in her voice. "When you say 'grow alongside its owner,' you're referring to Soul Reapers who have mastered their own power to the limit, then grow stronger through further training, with their Zanpakuto growing stronger in turn."

She paused, her golden-red eyes looking straight at Unohana. "But Liu Hao's situation is different. His potential far exceeds the power he has shown so far. He's like a child with an enormous container. The container already exists, but he hasn't learned how to open the lid or fill it with water."

Imperial Princess tapped the blade lightly, and it gave a clear hum. "With those Zanpakuto that supposedly 'grow alongside their owners,' the owner gains power first, and the Zanpakuto changes accordingly. But the Imperial Sword had its power first, and is waiting for its owner to claim it."

Her words struck Unohana's heart like a heavy hammer.

She remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, her voice carrying a rare hint of a sigh. "I see... It seems I underestimated Fifth Seat Liu Hao's talent."

It was not that she had underestimated him; she had simply failed to see through him.

Unohana had always thought that while Liu Hao was strong, he had reached no further than the peak of lieutenant-level, though he might someday have a chance to break into Captain-level. Only now did she understand that the young man's potential was far more terrifying than she had imagined.

The power Imperial Princess had displayed had already reached the pinnacle of Captain-level. And according to her, that was only a portion of the Imperial Sword's power while it was "sealed."

Then, if Liu Hao fully mastered the Imperial Sword and completely released its seal...

Unohana dared not imagine it.

"Shall we continue, then?" Imperial Princess's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "After all, if I stay out too long, my king's body will have some trouble bearing it."

With that, she raised the Imperial Sword again, its tip pointing at Unohana.

Without another word, they charged at each other.

This time, the way they fought changed.

There were no brilliant flames, no raging torrents, no elaborate Kidō, and no summoned weapons. There was only the purest, most fundamental Zanjutsu and swordsmanship.

Blade and sword crossed in the air, each collision throwing off sparks of the most primal power. Their movements were simplicity itself, yet they were also as dangerous as could be. Every slash targeted a vital point, every sword strike carried killing intent.

This was a true duel between swordsmen.

Neither relied on special abilities or the power of a Zanpakuto. Swordsmanship alone would decide the outcome.

"Clang, clang, clang, clang—!"

The clashes came as thick and fast as a downpour. The two moved at high speed through the white space, so fast that their movements were almost impossible to follow. Only the sparks from their colliding blades and the faint afterimages left in the air could be seen.

This pure kind of combat was even more dangerous.

With no other abilities to interfere, the path of every slash was clear, the intent behind every sword strike plain. Victory depended entirely on who was faster, more precise, and more ruthless.

Soon, wounds began to appear on both of them.

The Imperial Sword cut a gash in Unohana's left shoulder, deep enough to expose bone, and blood instantly stained her white uniform red. But she did not so much as frown. She struck back with her blade, leaving a wound on Imperial Princess's waist in turn.

Imperial Princess's wound did not bleed. Golden-red mist poured out instead, and the wound quickly healed amid the mist.

Unohana swept her left hand over her own wound. Green Kaidō light flickered, and it too healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Like tireless machines, they attacked, suffered wounds, healed, and attacked again.

The clash of blades, the sound of flesh being cut, the low hum of Kaidō healing, and the soft sounds of wounds closing—all intertwined into a cruel and beautiful symphony of battle.

But if this continued, there was bound to be no result.

Their strength was too evenly matched, and their mastery of Zanjutsu was on par. If they continued to compete in pure swordsmanship, the outcome would depend solely on whose Reiatsu ran out first.

Imperial Princess had clearly realized this as well.

After a fierce clash, she took the initiative to retreat and open the distance. The Imperial Sword pointed diagonally at the ground, and excitement gleamed in her golden-red eyes.

"At this rate, it'll only come down to whose Reiatsu runs out," Imperial Princess said, a hint of provocation in her voice. "You should use your Bankai. I'm very curious about it—I've seen it in Liu Hao's memories, but I haven't experienced it in reality."

Her words exploded in Unohana's mind like a thunderclap.

"Fifth Seat Liu Hao has seen my Bankai?!" She stared at Imperial Princess in disbelief. "How is that possible?!"

She had never used her Bankai, Minazuki, in front of others. Even a century ago, during the captains' Hollowfication Incident, she had not used it at the most dangerous moment. It was her greatest trump card, the last of her dignity as the First Kenpachi.

Aside from her, there should not have been a second person in the world who knew.

Yet Imperial Princess said Liu Hao had seen it.

"Oh dear, I let that slip." Imperial Princess covered her mouth and chuckled, but there was no regret in her smile. Instead, it held a certain deliberateness. "But since I've already let it slip, I don't mind revealing a little more."

She paused, her tone growing profound. "Liu Hao has seen your fate—no, he has seen many of the fates of all Soul Society. That's why he's so timid, hiding in the Fourth Division and going nowhere."

Imperial Princess's voice held unmistakable disdain. "I really can hardly stand to watch."

Unohana's expression darkened and shifted.

She stared at Imperial Princess, trying to tell truth from falsehood from her expression. But there was only pride and mockery on Imperial Princess's face, with no sign that she was lying.

After a long time, Unohana spoke slowly, her voice icy. "That is merely your word."

"Is that so?" Imperial Princess nodded indifferently. "It seems I can't convince you."

Her gaze swept over Unohana as though appraising her. "But that makes sense. You're someone who uses reason to control her blade, unlike Kenpachi Zaraki, who becomes a beast the moment he releases his power. So it's understandable whether you don't believe me, or you're trying to provoke me and learn more."

Imperial Princess held the Imperial Sword upright before her, its blade reflecting her breathtakingly beautiful face. "Use your Bankai. I want to see whether your Minazuki can truly make me feel fear and death—"

Her voice rose abruptly, charged with an impassioned emotion.

"And let my king see the power he was meant to wield!"

The information in those words was too astonishing. Unohana's expression grew even darker, and she stared fixedly at Imperial Princess, trying to read something in those golden-red eyes.

But in the end, she gave up.

"In that case," Unohana said, slowly raising her Zanpakuto, "I shall grant your wish."

Without hesitation, she gripped the blade with her left hand and squeezed hard.

Blood welled from her palm and flowed down the blade, staining the entire sword a glaring red. It did not drip, but wound and spread along the blade as though alive, until it completely enveloped the sword.

Then Unohana drew the blade, bit by bit, from her tightly clenched hand.

The movement was slow and solemn, as though she were performing some ancient ritual. With every inch of blade she drew out, the surrounding air grew colder and the color of the space grew darker.

By the time the blade was fully drawn, Unohana's gaze had completely changed.

It was no longer the gentle gaze of the Fourth Division Captain, nor the sharp gaze of the First Kenpachi. It was something deeper, more dangerous, closer to "death" itself.

"Playtime is over."

She spoke softly, her voice echoing through the space with a resonance that made the heart tremble.

"Bankai—"

Unohana raised the bloodstained blade above her head, its tip pointing skyward.

"Minazuki."

The moment the words fell, a change occurred.

It was not light, not flame, not any brilliant spectacle.

It was blood.

Endless blood poured from the blade.

At first it was only a trickle, then it became a torrent, and finally a sea of blood. The scarlet blood spread wildly outward from Unohana, swiftly flooding the entire white space.

Ceiling, floor, walls—everything in sight was dyed a glaring red.

The air was thick with the stench of blood. It was no illusion, but the real, nauseating smell of blood. The space grew viscous, as though submerged in blood, and with every breath came the illusion of liquid flowing into the nostrils.

This was Minazuki—the ability to turn everything around it into a sea of blood.

Within that sea, Unohana's power would be strengthened without limit, while her enemy's power would be continually weakened. More terrifying still, the sea of blood itself had the property of "dissolving." It would erode any living thing that entered it, turning it into part of the sea.

"So this is your Bankai?" Imperial Princess stood in the sea of blood, her long golden-red dress especially striking against the scarlet backdrop. "Looks good."

Her tone was still relaxed, but Unohana could feel Imperial Princess's Reiatsu beginning to fluctuate under the sea's erosion.

"Then let us begin." Without another word, Unohana raised her arm and slashed.

Several blood-colored blade arcs flew from her sword. They were no ordinary slashes, but were made of pure blood. Even the air was dyed red in their wake, leaving blood-colored trails that lingered for a long time.

Imperial Princess's pupils narrowed slightly, and she shouted, "Come on!"

She too raised her arm and swung her sword. The space behind her rippled, and several flaming spears flew out to meet the blood-colored blade arcs.

Blood and fire collided in midair.

"Ssssss—!"

It was not the sound of an explosion, but of corrosion. The flaming spears began to "dissolve" the instant they touched the blood-colored arcs. Their flames were extinguished by the blood, and their shafts rapidly corroded and crumbled under its assault.

But Imperial Princess's attack was not ineffective. As the flaming spears dissolved, most of the blood-colored arcs were also spent, their power greatly reduced.

The first exchange ended evenly.

Neither paused, and both charged at each other.

Their blades clashed again, but this time, the battlefield was completely different.

In the sea of blood, Unohana was like a fish in water. Every movement she made stirred waves of blood, and every slash carried a bloody tide. Imperial Princess, meanwhile, felt immense pressure: the blood was constantly eroding her Reiatsu, trying to dissolve her body.

More frightening still, Imperial Princess could feel her emotions beginning to be affected.

Anger, fear, despair, madness... All manner of negative emotions flooded her mind like a tide. They were the will of "death" contained in the sea of blood, the resentment of the countless souls who had died beneath Minazuki.

"Hmph." Imperial Princess snorted coldly, and golden-red flames ignited around her.

Imperial Flame rose, evaporating all the blood that came near. The flames formed a barrier around her, shielding her from the sea's erosion and the interference of those negative emotions.

But in doing so, her Reiatsu consumption increased sharply.

Unohana seized the opportunity and slashed down.

Imperial Princess raised her sword to block, and the two locked blades again. This time, the advantage of the sea of blood began to show.

The surrounding blood surged wildly toward the area where they struggled. It did not attack Imperial Princess directly, but flowed toward Unohana's body—and then a startling sight appeared.

As the blood flowed into Unohana's wounds, they began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye. It was not Kaidō healing, but a more direct, more rapid "repair." Blood merged into the wounds, which instantly closed without leaving so much as a scar.

Imperial Princess, meanwhile, had to contend with Unohana's slashes, the sea's erosion, the interference of negative emotions, and the drain of Imperial Flame all at once.

As one weakened and the other strengthened, the scales of victory began to tilt.

After they struggled for about ten breaths, Imperial Princess suddenly exerted her strength and pulled back.

But Unohana followed like a shadow, pressing in close.

Imperial Princess quickly condensed a wall of water before her—the first time she had used a water ability in the sea of blood. The wall was swiftly dyed red, but it still managed to barely block Unohana's pursuit.

Unohana casually waved her arm, sending several blood blades flying to shatter the wall. But the moment it broke, Imperial Princess had already completed her counterattack.

The space behind her rippled again. This time, what appeared were not flaming spears, but several giant swords made entirely of metal. They shot toward Unohana with a whistling sound.

Several rapiers slid from Unohana's left sleeve, and she flung them out.

"Clink, clink, clink—!"

The rapiers and giant swords collided in midair and both bounced away. Unohana's pursuit faltered.

And in that instant, Imperial Princess raised her Reiatsu to its limit.

Golden-red light gathered, compressed, and solidified on the Imperial Sword in her hand. The power of the five elements—gold, green, blue, red, and yellow—flowed and mingled along the blade, finally becoming a five-colored radiance.

"Imperial Sword—"

Imperial Princess gripped the sword in both hands and raised it high above her head.

"Peerless!"

A five-colored sword arc shot from the blade, tracing a brilliant path through the air straight toward Unohana.

Unohana had seen this move before.

Just moments ago, Imperial Princess had used it in her final clash with Liu Hao. Its terrifying power, its destructive force capable of annihilating everything, had alarmed even Unohana.

She dared not take it lightly.

Unohana likewise raised her Reiatsu to its limit. Blood began to boil and evaporate on her Zanpakuto, turning into scarlet mist. The mist coiled around the blade and compressed, finally condensing into a dark crimson blade arc that was almost solid.

This was no ordinary blood blade, but a strike that condensed the essence of the sea of blood under Minazuki.

"Sea of blood—"

Unohana swung her blade.

"Burial!"

The dark crimson blade arc met the five-colored sword arc.

The two collided in midair.

There was no sound.

It was not that they had failed to collide, but that the energy produced by their collision was too immense, exceeding the limit at which sound could propagate. At the point of contact, space began to warp and tear, revealing the pitch-black void behind it.

Then light burst forth.

It was not the light of an explosion, but pure light produced by two extremes of energy annihilating each other.

The light was so dazzling that even Unohana and Imperial Princess had to close their eyes. It lasted for about three breaths before beginning to fade.

When the light had completely dispersed, the scene around them had changed.

The sea of blood was gone.

It had not been evaporated or dispersed, but completely "neutralized" in that terrifying collision. The white space had returned to its original appearance, the floor smooth as a mirror and the sky a soft milky white.

The Bankai had been forcibly undone.

Imperial Princess knelt on one knee, the Imperial Sword in her hand buried deep in the floor to support her body. Her breathing was ragged, and her long golden-red dress was torn in several places. She had clearly suffered serious injuries in the collision.

Yet she was smiling.

"It seems I've lost." A hint of regret entered Imperial Princess's voice. "What a pity. I can't bring out enough power right now, or I could have shown you the Imperial Sword's true might."

Unohana stood where she was. Although she looked somewhat better than Imperial Princess, her breathing was just as ragged, and the hand holding her Zanpakuto trembled slightly.

"Why do you think you've lost?" Unohana looked at Imperial Princess. "I couldn't even maintain my Bankai."

"Your Bankai mostly increased your ability to recover. It didn't improve your combat power by much." Imperial Princess slowly rose and pulled the Imperial Sword from the floor. "So although you couldn't maintain your Bankai, your combat power hasn't diminished much."

She paused and looked at Unohana. "I, on the other hand, have reached my limit. So I lost."

That was the truth.

The Imperial Sword: Peerless strike just now had drained almost all of Imperial Princess's Reiatsu. Although Unohana's Bankai had been broken, she still retained most of her own combat power.

If the fight continued, Unohana would be the only victor.

Unohana was silent for a moment before finally letting out a soft sigh. "It seems I won't be able to fight to my heart's content this time."

She had hoped the Imperial Princess would force her to use all her strength, allowing her to fight and revel in the joy of battle as freely as she had when she fought Kenpachi Zaraki all those years ago.

But the reality was that, powerful as the Imperial Princess was, she was limited by Liu Hao's condition and could not use her full strength.

And Unohana herself had not fully recovered her condition, having gone so long without fighting at full strength.

Both of them had held back in this battle.

The Imperial Princess smiled faintly but said nothing. She turned the Imperial Sword in her hand point downward, gripped the hilt with both hands, and slowly planted it in the ground.

The blade sank three inches into the earth and stood firm.

Then the Imperial Princess's body began to turn transparent. Golden specks of light drifted from her, dancing like fireflies. Her figure grew fainter and fainter until it finally became a streak of golden light that flowed into the Imperial Sword.

The Imperial Sword's blade trembled slightly, giving a low hum, as if bidding farewell.

Unohana watched quietly until the Imperial Sword was completely still.

She turned and looked into the distance.

There, Liu Hao had long since lost consciousness from the impact of their final clash and lay on the ground. His uniform was in tatters, and his exposed skin was covered in marks left by the battle. Most of his wounds had healed under the Imperial Sword's treatment, but the exhaustion and weakness caused by his depleted Reiatsu could not be removed.

Unohana walked over to Liu Hao, crouched down, and carefully examined his condition.

His breathing was steady, and although his Reiatsu was weak, it was relatively stable. His life was not in danger. He was simply in a deep coma from overexertion and needed time to recover.

She straightened and said to Isane Kotetsu outside the barrier, "Isane, take Fifth Seat Liu Hao back to rest."

"Yes, Captain." Isane Kotetsu passed through the barrier and carefully helped the unconscious Liu Hao up.

Unohana walked over to the Imperial Sword, reached out to grasp the hilt, and pulled it from the ground. The blade felt warm and smooth in her hand. Rather than the scorching heat she had imagined, it held a strange sense of calm.

Taking the Imperial Sword with her, she left the white space with Isane Kotetsu and returned to the Fourth Division Captain's office.

"Let's put him here." Unohana pointed to a bed on the inner side of the Captain’s Office—the one she normally used for her midday rest.

Isane Kotetsu settled Liu Hao on it as instructed and covered him with a light blanket. Then she asked, somewhat worried, "Captain, what about the Medical Guard Team's training today?"

"You go and keep an eye on them," Unohana said. "Let them train on their own as they normally would."

"Yes." Isane Kotetsu saluted and left the Captain’s Office.

After the door closed, only Unohana and the unconscious Liu Hao remained in the Captain’s Office.

Unohana walked to the bedside and looked down at the young Soul Reaper. Liu Hao's face was pale, and even unconscious, his brow remained slightly furrowed, as though he were experiencing something in his dreams.

She placed the Imperial Sword beside the bed, then walked to the window and gazed out at the Seireitei.

The sun was bright, the clouds were thin, and a gentle breeze blew. Everything looked so peaceful.

But in Unohana's heart, a storm was raging.

The Imperial Princess said Liu Hao knows much of Soul Society's future and has even seen the Bankai I've never used... How does he know?

He said the title of Kenpachi has no meaning. It seems that in the future, I really do pass the name of Kenpachi on to Captain Zaraki. Then how do I die? Is it in that battle of succession?

And then there's Aizen, whom he's been avoiding... Sōsuke Aizen, the Fifth Division Captain, a "model captain" with an excellent reputation in the Gotei 13. What exactly is wrong with him? Is it something he does in the future, or something he did in the past?

In the Hollowfication Incident involving the captains a century ago, Kisuke Urahara was accused of being the culprit and ultimately exiled to the World of the Living. But is that really the truth? If Liu Hao knows the future, does he also know the truth about the past?

Countless questions circled in Unohana's mind.

She turned, her gaze falling on Liu Hao once more.

This young man was far more complicated than she had imagined. The secrets he was hiding might be more astonishing than everything she had experienced in her thousand-year life.

Unohana walked to the bedside, reached out, and gently placed her hand on Liu Hao's forehead.

Green Kaidō light flickered as gentle healing Reiryoku flowed into Liu Hao, helping him recover his depleted Reiatsu and easing his body's fatigue.

"Get some rest," Unohana said softly. "When you wake up, we still have a lot of things we need to discuss."

Outside the window, sunlight slanted in, bathing the Captain’s Office in warm gold.

And in a corner the light could not reach, the Imperial Sword lay quietly beside the bed, the dragon patterns on its blade slowly moving through the shadows.

As if waiting.

Waiting for a certain moment to arrive.