Bankai Training, the Past

Moonlight flowed like water through the Fourth Division's corridors. The conversation between Retsu Unohana and Liu Hao drifted away on the night breeze, but it had planted different seeds in each of their hearts.

"We can unite our forces, but we can't take the initiative to invite them and draw them into this," Unohana said softly, her trademark gentle smile still on her lips. "That is the Captain-Commander's justice: not dragging innocents onto the battlefield, even if they ultimately become involved anyway."

Liu Hao was silent for a moment before finally nodding. "I understand the Captain-Commander's concerns. Still, I want to try to save Masaki Kurosaki and Katagiri Hae. At the very least, I want to give them a chance to live."

Unohana turned her head, the moonlight casting soft shadows across her face. "Of course you can. And if necessary, I'll help too."

After the two spoke a little longer about the medical team's daily affairs, Liu Hao bowed and took his leave. Under the moonlight, his white haori swayed gently in the night breeze as he walked farther and farther away, finally disappearing around a corner of the Fourth Division Barracks.

Unohana stood where she was, watching Liu Hao leave. Only after a long while did she speak softly. "You really can't tell just by looking... Our Medical Guard Team captain, the one they call the 'Cold-Blooded Physician,' is actually so warmhearted at his core."

Isane Kotetsu, who had been standing at her side all along, smiled and replied, "Lieutenant Liu Hao is almost exacting in his rigor when carrying out missions, but he really does treat his team members well in everyday life. The last time the Third Seat fell ill, he personally prepared a medicine and took it over."

"Is that so?" Unohana turned to her Vice-Captain, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "But I remember one time when you came back from a mission with him, you were so angry you stamped your feet and said he'd stood by and let someone die."

Isane Kotetsu's cheeks flushed instantly, and she protested in embarrassment and indignation. "Captain! I only said that because I was furious at the time. After I calmed down and thought about it... he was right. We can't expose the entire medical squad to the enemy just to rescue the wounded. If the medical team becomes a target, the consequences would be unthinkable."

Unohana nodded gently and gazed into the distance. "We're all living, breathing people, with feelings and empathy. When we see others injured or even killed, naturally we can't remain indifferent. Your anger at the time wasn't wrong. Likewise, when he severely punishes those who violate medical regulations, it isn't because he's heartless, but because he knows one person's mistake could cause even greater casualties."

Isane Kotetsu looked thoughtful. "I'm just curious... why would someone who's almost ruthless on missions choose to save people? Given his style, shouldn't he 'follow the rules and do nothing unnecessary'?"

"I'm curious too," Unohana replied softly, a profound glint flashing in her eyes.

Under the moonlight, the lights in the Fourth Division Barracks went out one by one, and Seireitei entered the stillness of late night.

Liu Hao returned to his residence, a secluded courtyard behind the Fourth Division. It had been assigned to him after he became a Medical Guard Team Lieutenant. Though modest, it was spacious enough, and, rarer still, it came with a private training ground.

He pushed open the wooden gate to the training ground, and moonlight poured in like liquid silver, illuminating the level sand at its center. Tall stone walls surrounded it, engraved with basic Kidō runes to block fluctuations in Reiatsu and sound.

Liu Hao stopped in the center of the training ground and took a deep breath. The night breeze brushed past, carrying the fresh scent of distant pines and cypresses, as well as the turmoil in his heart that was hard to calm.

He had revealed too many secrets today and changed the threads of fate too profoundly. From this moment on, the future would no longer be the "plot" he knew so well, but a completely new path full of unknowns and uncertainties.

"Strength... I still don't have enough," Liu Hao murmured, slowly resting his right hand on the hilt of the Zanpakuto at his waist.

Hum—

The Zanpakuto gave a faint hum, as if responding to its master's thoughts.

"Imperial Princess, it's time," Liu Hao said softly. He gripped the hilt with his right hand and slowly drew his Zanpakuto.

As the blade slipped free of its sheath, brilliant starlight burst from it. Within the light, the figure of a young woman in a long dress of stars gradually took shape: Imperial Princess, the sword spirit of the Imperial Sword.

"Have you finally made up your mind?" Imperial Princess floated in midair, the hem of her dress flowing like the Milky Way. Her voice was clear and ethereal. "You said before that you wouldn't begin Bankai training until you could break Kyōka Suigetsu."

Liu Hao looked up at Imperial Princess, his eyes shining with confidence. "I can do that now. I can break Kyōka Suigetsu's Complete Hypnosis with ease."

Imperial Princess smiled faintly. Her smile held both relief and a certain indescribable complexity. "I see... yes. Your spirit body has now nearly reached perfection, so you are indeed qualified to break Kyōka Suigetsu. In that case, how will you begin your Bankai training?"

Liu Hao's gaze grew utterly focused. He stared at the Imperial Sword in his hand and spoke each word distinctly. "A sword should have a sheath. The Imperial Sword is no exception."

His words seemed to trigger some ancient switch, and Imperial Princess's smile grew profound. "It seems... you've finally discovered it."

Before she had finished speaking, Imperial Princess held both arms out in front of her, palms facing each other. Countless streams of light gathered and intertwined between her hands, gradually forming an ancient and solemn sword sheath. The entire sheath was dark gold, its surface engraved with the paths of the stars. Seven gemstones of different colors were set around its mouth, each corresponding to one of seven Reiatsu attributes.

As the sheath appeared, the Imperial Sword in Liu Hao's hand suddenly trembled violently and let out a clear ring, as though rejoicing at a reunion after a long separation, yet also exulting at the prospect of setting out on a new journey.

Liu Hao raised the Imperial Sword and gently stroked its blade with his left hand, as softly as if caressing a lover's face. The tremor from the blade passed through his palm and reached deep into his heart.

"Go on, Imperial Sword. Return to your sheath," Liu Hao said softly.

The moment he finished speaking, he released his grip on the sword. The Imperial Sword did not fall. Instead, it hovered in midair, its tip adjusting direction slightly before it turned into a streak of light and flew precisely into the sheath in Imperial Princess's hands.

Clang—

The sound of blade and sheath fitting together perfectly rang out, crisp and solemn, like the completion of some ancient ceremony being proclaimed.

The moment the Imperial Sword returned to its sheath, the space beside Imperial Princess began to twist and ripple. An ancient and imposing throne slowly emerged from the void. It was cast entirely from some dark-gold metal, its armrests carved as two coiling dragons. Its back was a complete star map, within which stars moved as though telling the mysteries of the universe.

Imperial Princess held the sheathed Imperial Sword tightly in her arms, as though embracing the most precious treasure in the world. She turned her gaze to Liu Hao, and her voice took on a solemnity it had never held before:

"The Imperial Sword has returned, and the throne has appeared. Liu Hao, now let me see whether you are qualified to sit upon the throne that belongs to an emperor."

[Trial of the Starry Sky: The Nine-Section, Nine-Step Imperial Path]

As Imperial Princess finished speaking, the throne suddenly emitted powerful spatial fluctuations. Like ripples on water, they spread outward in every direction from the throne.

In an instant, the entire training ground vanished. No, it had not vanished; it had been replaced by a vast starry sky.

Endless darkness surrounded them, dotted with billions of stars. Nebulas slowly revolved in the distance, while meteors streaked across the sky nearby. Liu Hao, Imperial Princess, and the throne all floated in this starry expanse, as though they were at the center of the universe.

Once the starry sky had fully stabilized, the dark-gold throne began to rise slowly. It finally came to rest high in the sky, like an emperor ruling the world and looking down upon his domain. The moment the throne came to a complete stop, a strange sight appeared—

Behind the throne appeared endless visions of emperors: scenes of countless people paying homage, panoramas of mountains, rivers, and realms, the turning of the sun, moon, and stars, and the birth and destruction of all things in heaven and earth... The visions flowed without end, as if telling of the responsibilities and breadth of heart an emperor should possess.

Imperial Princess stood at one side of the throne, holding the Imperial Sword in her arms. She was no longer the lively sword spirit she was in everyday life. Instead, she looked more like a sword-bearing attendant serving an emperor, her expression solemn and her posture respectful.

"Begin," Imperial Princess said softly.

Those few words alone set off an enormous change in the starry sky.

A staircase appeared out of thin air, starting beneath Liu Hao's feet. It was about three feet wide and had nine sections of nine steps each, for a total of eighty-one steps. The entire staircase was made of a material like white jade, with seven-colored radiance flowing over its surface. Tiny fragments of stars were embedded along the edge of every step, giving off a soft and mysterious glow.

The staircase soared straight upward, extending all the way to the throne high above, like a passage connecting the mortal world to the heavens.

Liu Hao gazed at the radiant "imperial path" before him. There was not the slightest hesitation in his eyes, only unwavering resolve. He took a deep breath, raised his right foot, and stepped firmly onto the first step.

The moment his foot came down, the scene before his eyes abruptly changed.

The starry sky vanished, as did the throne and Imperial Princess. In their place was a bustling, familiar street.

Liu Hao stood on the street and looked around, an indescribably complicated emotion rising in his heart.

This was... the world of his previous life.

There were familiar shop signs, familiar car horns, familiar cries from roadside vendors, and even a few faces that seemed familiar moving through the crowd.

"I'm back?" Liu Hao murmured, his voice trembling with disbelief.

He walked down the street, every step careful, as though he feared waking from this beautiful dream. He passed the breakfast shop he used to frequent, where the owner was busily frying dough sticks. He passed the bookstore he had often visited in college, where the owner still sat behind the counter wearing reading glasses. He saw the office building of the company where he had once worked, its glass facade reflecting the sunlight in a dazzling glare...

On and on he walked, heading toward the place deep in his memories that he called "home."

Yet just as he was about to see that familiar door, the scene before him suddenly rippled like water and dissolved.

The next second, he found himself back in the starry sky, still standing on the first step, as though he had never left.

Liu Hao froze for a moment, then seemed to understand something. Without hesitation, he stepped onto the second step.

Once again, he entered that familiar world and walked down the street. This time, he tried to reach out and touch a plane tree by the roadside, only to find his hand passing straight through its trunk. In this world, he was merely a ghost who could not be perceived. He could only look; he could neither touch nor communicate.

Unwillingness surged in his heart. Liu Hao quickened his pace, wanting to reach that "home" faster and see more of this world.

And so he stepped onto the stairs again and again, entered the world of his memories again and again, and returned to the staircase again and again. Each time, he tried to go farther and see more, yet he could never truly "enter" that world. He could only watch as a bystander while everything from the past played out before his eyes.

At last, he stepped onto the final step of the first section: the ninth step.

This time, when he entered that world, he found himself standing beneath the building he called "home." Looking up, he saw that familiar window half open, its curtains swaying gently in the breeze.

He could stay here forever, if he wished.

Looking at all the familiar sights and listening to the faint sound of a television upstairs, Liu Hao's eyes gradually grew moist. Two clear tears silently ran down his cheeks and fell onto the concrete beneath his feet, yet left not the slightest trace.

"Can I... never go back?" Liu Hao murmured, his voice full of indescribable bitterness.

Maybe I really can't go back, another voice answered in his heart.

Then where is my future?

Who knows... I don't even know whether everything now is a dream.

But if I'm alive, shouldn't I have a goal?

Being alive is good enough. In any case, I've already told them everything I needed to say. Now, as long as I can protect myself, that's enough...

And so Liu Hao stood on the ninth step, lost in a deep exchange of questions and answers with himself. His gaze never left those familiar sights, his eyes full of reluctance and attachment.

Beside the throne high above, Imperial Princess watched everything in silence. Her eyes were full of heartache, and she held the Imperial Sword tightly against her chest, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force. For one moment, she almost called out, wanting to wake Liu Hao from the memories of his past life.

Just then, a stream of light shot from the throne and gently enveloped Imperial Princess. At the same time, a voice sounded beside her ear. It was identical to Liu Hao's, yet carried a certain majesty that transcended the individual:

"Remember our mission. We exist only to protect the king. The king's path is not ours to interfere with."

Imperial Princess shuddered and fell silent. She lowered her eyes, and when she raised them again, the heartache in them had been deeply concealed. In its place was a cold and solemn expression. Like a true sword-bearing attendant, she waited quietly for the emperor to make his choice.

After an unknown length of time, Liu Hao's body suddenly jolted in the starry sky.

He stopped questioning and answering himself, and the confusion and attachment in his eyes gradually faded. He raised his head and looked past the many steps toward the throne high above, toward Imperial Princess standing at its side with the Imperial Sword in her arms.

"Those... are only memories." Liu Hao's voice rang out in the starry sky, calm and resolute. "Beautiful memories are worth cherishing, but I can't let them cloud my heart. I can't let them become an obstacle that keeps me from moving forward."

With that, he raised his foot, preparing to step onto the first step of the second section.

Yet just as he was about to take that step, an invisible wall seemed to appear before him. No matter how hard he tried, he could not cross it.

Liu Hao froze. He withdrew his foot and frowned in thought. A moment later, he seemed to understand something and slowly closed his eyes.

When he "opened his eyes" again, he was back in the world of his memories. Standing beneath the building he called "home," he looked up at the half-open window and finally sighed softly.

"It seems... my heart still can't let go completely. That's why I can't keep climbing."

He lingered in this memory for a long time, so long that he almost forgot he was undergoing a trial. But in the end, he opened his eyes again—his real eyes, his eyes in the starry sky.

This time, his gaze became utterly resolute: the resolve of someone who had made a choice and would hesitate no longer.

"Memories are worth looking back on, but they can't be allowed to stand in the way of my progress."

As his words fell, he stepped forward once more.

This time, nothing stood in his way. His foot landed firmly on the first step of the second section, and his body rose to the next level with it.

High above, the corners of Imperial Princess's lips lifted in an almost imperceptible smile. The Imperial Sword in her arms trembled gently, giving a pleased hum.

And the visions of emperors behind the throne seemed to grow a little clearer.