Bankai Training, Reality

Standing before the fourth set of steps, Liu Hao did not hesitate for a moment. His experience from the previous three trials had taught him that no matter what he faced, only a firm will and an unwavering determination could help him pass the test.

He lifted his foot and stepped onto the first step of the stairs.

Darkness arrived as expected, like a gentle yet irresistible embrace, enveloping his consciousness. But this time, the darkness was short-lived—almost the instant he entered it, a new scene lit up before his eyes.

What appeared before Liu Hao was a world that seemed strangely familiar.

The streets of Rukongai lined with low-rise houses and sparse pedestrians. In the distance, several small figures were arguing with an adult spirit over a small bag of rice. Among the children, Liu Hao spotted a familiar figure—a boy of about ten years old, whose eyes revealed a calmness and vigilance beyond his years.

That was... myself as a child.

"Is it another virtual world?" Liu Hao asked subconsciously, his voice tinged with weariness.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than a clear child's voice responded, "Do you think this is an illusion? Then... wasn't the original world an illusion too?"

Liu Hao looked in the direction of the sound and saw his younger self standing not far away, looking up at him with a mature smile that didn't match his age.

"Um... you're me, right?" Liu Hao asked tentatively.

"What do you think?" Young Liu Hao tilted his head, his expression both innocent and cunning.

"This isn't an illusion... so how can I leave?" Liu Hao continued to ask.

Young Liu Hao laughed, a clear hint of mockery in his smile, "Do you think I'd tell you?"

"You..." Liu Hao was speechless for a moment, and could only say helplessly, "Won't you get beaten up for talking like that?"

"Are you threatening me?" Young Liu Hao raised an eyebrow, his expression exactly the same as Liu Hao's at times.

"No," Liu Hao shook his head, "I just think the way you talk is a bit... annoying."

"But I am you." Young Liu Hao looked directly into Liu Hao's eyes. "So the way I speak is the way you want to use. It's just that you're afraid—afraid of being disliked, afraid of being rejected—so you can't show this side of yourself."

These words were like a sharp thorn, piercing the deepest part of Liu Hao's heart. He remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Yes... I was afraid, so I've always hidden myself. Just like in the beginning, I could never fit into Rukia's group. It wasn't until Ogawa and the others died that I realized I had always seen myself as... a close-up observer."

"And now?" young Liu Hao pressed.

"Now?" Liu Hao asked, somewhat confused. "Haven't I already integrated?"

Young Liu Hao looked at him with an almost contemptuous gaze, a mocking smile on his lips, "Whatever you say. I am you, so you'd better not argue with what I say."

"Uh... I really want to punch you." Liu Hao felt a wave of helplessness.

"You might not actually be able to beat me." Young Liu Hao's smile widened even more. "Everything you can do, I can do too; and things you can't, I can do as well."

These words left Liu Hao speechless. He stood there, looking at his younger self who was already showing off his sharp edge, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

Young Liu Hao ignored Liu Hao and turned to walk towards the group of children in the distance— Renji Abarai, Rukia Kuchiki, and several other familiar faces.

Liu Hao could only follow from afar, watching how this "self" lived in this world.

Unlike his memories, this younger self was more proactive and flamboyant. When the Hollows attacked Rukongai, Liu Hao instinctively wanted to help, but was stopped by a single look from his younger self.

Then, Liu Hao witnessed a scene that shocked him—the ten-year-old child, with just a simple wooden sword and precise judgment, single-handedly killed a Menos Grande of the Gillian level.

When Retsu Unohana and Isane Kotetsu arrived, they saw young Liu Hao standing beside the Hollow's remains, calmly wiping the bloodstains from his wooden sword.

"Child, you have the potential to become Soul Reaper," Unohana said gently. "Would you like to come to the Shin'ō Academy?"

"No need," young Liu Hao replied decisively. "I have my own path to walk."

This scene was completely different from the choice Liu Hao remembered. In his real experience, he had hesitated but ultimately accepted Unohana's invitation. But this "himself" refused without hesitation.

What surprised Liu Hao even more was that this younger version of himself seemed to... know that he was watching.

In the days that followed, young Liu Hao struggled to survive in Rukongai with Renji and Rukia. They did not join the Shin'ō Academy, but instead survived and grew in their own way. Only after sending their last friend to Seireitei did the three of them head to the holy land of the Soul Reaper.

During the entrance test for the Seireitei, young Liu Hao did not avoid Sōsuke Aizen —he even made eye contact with the Fifth Division Captain. When Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnosis was activated, Liu Hao clearly saw his younger self's lips slightly upturned, and he even... winked in his direction.

"He can see me... and he knows he's being hypnotized." A chill ran through Liu Hao's heart.

Later, young Liu Hao chose to join the Fourth Division —which was the same choice as Liu Hao's real choice. However, during his time in the Fourth Division, this "self" did something completely different.

He intervened in Rukia's reunion with the Kuchiki Clan and openly supported Rukia; he got involved in the investigation of the deaths of Kaien Shiba and his wife, and made no secret of his suspicions about Aizen; he even directly told Retsu Unohana, "If you still have the idea of dying at Kenpachi Zaraki's hands, I'll kill him beforehand."

Outspoken, direct, and undisguised.

Looking at himself in this parallel world, Liu Hao felt a complex mix of emotions. There was envy, confusion, and... a hidden sense of identification.

The story moves to the Soujigaoka incident. When Sōsuke Aizen attempts to remove the Hōgyoku from Rukia's body, a figure suddenly rushes out—it is the grown-up young Liu Hao, who should now be called "Young Liu Hao".

Unlike the cautious and restrained self that Liu Hao remembered, this "Liu Hao" directly blocked Aizen's path.

"That's enough, Captain Aizen." The young Liu Hao's voice was calm yet firm.

Aizen's gaze passed over him, looking towards Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and the other Captains in the distance, before finally settling on the young man before him. His eyes behind his glasses narrowed slightly. "What a surprising discovery... I never expected you to be able to evade my Kyōka Suigetsu."

"That's not all," the young man Liu Hao smiled slightly, "I can also let others 'see' the truth."

As he spoke, ripples spread through the surrounding air. The Captains, who had been deceived by Kyōka Suigetsu, gradually regained their clarity—they saw the real Aizen, and the Hōgyoku he had taken out of his hand.

"Interesting." Aizen took off his glasses and ran his hand through his hair—his signature "hair gel" gesture. "But someone like you shouldn't be content with this corrupt order."

"Whether I'm willing or not is my own business," the young Liu Hao said without backing down. "Someone like you, who treats human life like dirt, has no right to comment on whether the order is corrupt."

Jūshirō Ukitake stepped forward, his expression grave. "Aizen... you've fallen."

"You are too arrogant, Ukitake." Aizen's voice was calm yet dangerous. "No one was born standing on the heavens, neither you nor I, not even the gods. But this unbearable vacancy on the throne of heaven is about to end. From this day forward, I will stand at the top!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "Farewell, fellow Soul Reapers. Farewell, Ryoka demon. As far as humans are concerned, you are quite interesting..."

"That's really classic, hairspray hands," Liu Hao couldn't help but mutter to himself from a distance.

Just then, the young man Liu Hao suddenly turned his head, his gaze fixed on Liu Hao's direction. "Are you just going to stand there and watch? With your abilities, you should be able to take this arrogant guy down, right?"

Everyone followed his gaze—including Sōsuke Aizen.

Liu Hao felt a wave of embarrassment. He had originally been just an observer, but now he had suddenly become the focus of everyone's attention. After hesitating for a moment, he finally stepped out of his hiding place and hovered in mid-air.

"Um... I'll give it a try," he said somewhat helplessly.

With a loose grasp in his right hand, a lightsaber made entirely of Reiatsu materialized in his grasp. Without any unnecessary movements, he simply swung it lightly towards the Menos Grande and the spatial rift behind Aizen.

A flash of sword light.

The Hollow monster, powerful enough to tear space apart, was cleaved in two by a single sword strike, shattering the massive spatial rift Aizen had used to escape. Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen fell from mid-air, barely managing to regain their footing before looking at Liu Hao in the air in shock.

"Even if I stop them here," Liu Hao at the young man, "So what?"

"Of course, we should kill them," the young man Liu Hao replied matter-of-factly.

"Given Aizen's strength, you might not be his match," Liu Hao warned. "Moreover, the abilities of his Zanpakuto could cause you a lot of trouble."

"As long as no one else intervenes, isn't that enough?" Young Liu Hao's lips curled into a smile. "Besides, how do you know I'm no match for him?"

Before he could finish speaking, his figure suddenly vanished. The next second, he reappeared behind Kaname Tōsen, his Zanpakuto slashing down mercilessly— Kaname Tōsen didn't even have time to react before being severely injured and falling to the ground.

"Look," the young man Liu Hao flicked the blood off his knife, "We don't need any help now. The others can just stand there and wait for Aizen and me to settle our score."

Liu Hao was silent for a moment, then asked, "So how do you plan to deal with Aizen? After all, his strength is only below the Captain-Commander and Captain Unohana. Are you confident you can win?"

"How will you know if you don't try?" After saying this, the young man Liu Hao rushed towards Aizen.

The battle has begun.

Liu Hao stood in mid-air, silently watching the clash between the two. Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Kidō, Shunpo... in every field, the two displayed top-level skills. The shockwaves generated by the collision of Reiatsu continued to spread, tearing the ground of Shuangji Hill apart.

Just as Liu Hao was completely engrossed in watching the battle, a flippant voice suddenly rang out beside him. "Can he win?"

Liu Hao turned his head and saw Gin Ichimaru, who had appeared beside him at some point. The Third Division Captain still wore that fox-like smile, as if the fierce battle before him had nothing to do with him.

"I don't know," Liu Hao answered truthfully, then suddenly changed the subject, "Why aren't you preparing for a sneak attack? What are you doing next to me?"

Gin Ichimaru's smile froze slightly, then returned to normal. "Oh, so you know my purpose. No wonder he only injured Captain Tōsen."

Just then, the battle below changed.

The young Liu Hao suddenly unleashed his Zanpakuto: "Imperial Decree - Spatial Forbidden Domain!"

Countless spatial ripples spread out from him, completely enveloping Aizen. Within this domain, the effects of Kyōka Suigetsu were isolated— the Captains watching the battle were no longer hypnotized; what they saw was the real fight.

"Since I can break through your Kyōka Suigetsu," the young man Liu Hao's voice echoed within the domain, "I naturally have a way to isolate you from controlling others. It seems that you can only defeat me now."

Aizen glanced around and saw the Captains who had regained their senses. His expression remained calm, even showing a slight smile, "Are you sure I will definitely lose to you?"

"We'll only know the answer to this kind of thing after we take action."

The two clashed again. This time, the battle was even more intense, and the clash of Reiatsu nearly leveled the entire Shuangji Hill.

However, as Liu Hao watched all this, a strong sense of unease suddenly welled up in his heart.

"Your fighting style..." he couldn't help but say, "It seems rather childish. It appears incredibly intense, yet it always leaves room for maneuver. What's the point of such flashy moves?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the battle abruptly ceased.

Aizen and the young Liu Hao simultaneously stopped and turned to look at Liu Hao in the air.

"So, how do you think we should fight?" Aizen asked.

Young Liu Hao pressed further, "Why do you think we're leaving ourselves room to maneuver?"

"Don't ask me these kinds of questions," Liu Hao said, feeling speechless. "You should know the answer yourselves!"

At that very moment, something unexpected happened.

"Bankai: Kamishini no Yari!"

Gin Ichimaru's voice rang almost in Liu Hao's ear. Liu Hao instinctively dodged to the side, but it was too late—the cold blade pierced through his chest and emerged from his back.

A sharp pain swept through his entire body. Liu Hao looked down at the knife tip protruding from his chest, an expression of disbelief on his face.

Gin Ichimaru slowly drew his Zanpakuto, his smile still on his face, but now it looked cold and cruel. "You should know the abilities of my Zanpakuto, right?"

Liu Hao gritted his teeth, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Why... did you ambush me?"

"Don't you understand yet?" another voice rang out—it was the voice of the young man Liu Hao.

Liu Hao turned his head sharply and saw that the young Liu Hao had appeared behind him at some point. What shocked him even more was that what the young Liu Hao was holding in his hand was none other than the Imperial Sword.

A flash of sword light.

The Imperial Sword pierced through Liu Hao's body from behind. The two swords— the Kamishini no Yari Imperial Sword —converged within Liu Hao's body, pinning him firmly in mid-air.

"You..." Liu Hao began with difficulty, "Were you targeting me from the very beginning?"

"It's you, of course." Aizen slowly rose into the air, reaching the same height as Liu Hao. "Because of you, this world exists. But this world... doesn't need two of you. That's reality."

As he spoke, everything around him began to change. Soujigaoka disappeared, the Captains disappeared, and Gin Ichimaru disappeared as well. Only the young Liu Hao, Aizen, and Liu Hao, who was pierced by two swords, remained.

The scene returned to the beginning—the street of Rukongai, the place where young Liu Hao first appeared.

But at this moment, standing in front of Liu Hao was not a child, but a young man whose face was exactly the same as his.

"You've always denied your own existence," the young man Liu Hao's voice was eerily calm, "Believing this is an illusory world, and therefore you feel out of place in it. You prefer to observe everything from an outsider's perspective. So... if you can't accept your own existence, then leave this world. Let me take your place."

Liu Hao coughed up blood, but suddenly laughed, "You think this is enough to kill me?"

"Of course." A cold glint flashed in the young man Liu Hao's eyes. "Shoot him! Kamishini no Yari!"

The moment the words left his mouth, Liu Hao felt something explode inside his body. It wasn't a physical explosion, but a more fundamental disintegration—starting from the center of his chest, his flesh, bones, and Reiatsu were all rapidly dissolving and turning to ashes.

When the smoke cleared, a huge hole appeared in Liu Hao's chest, with the poison from the Kamishini no Yari still lingering at the edges.

"You are indeed very strong," the young man Liu Hao commented. "It's only such a small hole. Under normal circumstances, you could recover from this kind of injury. But now... it seems you have no chance."

He drew his Imperial Sword and swung it at Liu Hao once more.

Liu Hao used his last bit of strength to dodge to the side, but the price was—his left arm was severed at the shoulder.

The severed arm fell to the ground and turned to ashes.

The excruciating pain blurred Liu Hao's consciousness, but within that blurriness, some things became clearer.

"Replace me?" Liu Hao chuckled softly, his voice weak yet tinged with a sense of relief. "A good idea... but you seem to have forgotten that this world exists because of me."

"So what?" the young man Liu Hao said dismissively. "You've always refused to acknowledge your own existence, refused to accept the world of Soul Reaper. Even if you've gained power, even if you've accepted friendship, you still refuse to acknowledge yourself, refuse to acknowledge this world. Since that's the case, why not let go of everything and let me take your place?"

Liu Hao fell silent. Looking at the flamboyant, confident, and unpretentious "himself" before him, he suddenly understood something.

"Is that what you think?" he asked slowly. "Perhaps I really do have this thought, maybe it's hidden somewhere deep inside me. So I won't deny what you've said... but I don't want you to replace me."

"Do you still have a chance to turn things around?" The young man Liu Hao, raised his sword.

Liu Hao closed his eyes. When he opened them again, there was no pain or confusion in them, only a clear understanding.

"You said that this world exists because of me," he said softly. "Then I can still change this world a little... can't I?"

The moment the words fell, Liu Hao's body began to disintegrate—not the kind of disintegration caused by the Kamishini no Yari, but a voluntary, inward dissipation. He transformed into countless specks of light, like dust in the wind, permeating the entire space.

Young Liu Hao frowned, warily glancing around. "Come out here! Stop playing tricks! What do you mean you knew from the beginning? If you knew, why did you watch me do all this?!"

"Because I needed to confirm," Liu Hao's voice echoed from all directions, "To confirm what you really are. And now, I understand."

The points of light began to converge, reforming into Liu Hao's figure. He hovered in the air, the wounds on his chest and severed arm completely healed—no, not healed, but rather that the body was originally an illusion constructed by Reishi.

"I knew from the beginning," Liu Hao said calmly, "That you were the only real person in this world. When you told me that this world was real, you forgot one thing—there is only one me, and you are the other side of me buried deep in my heart."

Young Liu Hao's pupils suddenly contracted. "You... when?"

"The moment I saw you," Liu Hao smiled, "I knew that only by withdrawing could I see the truth. So I left behind an illusion and departed from that world."

He paused, then continued, "And what you did... was what I wanted to do too. To live boldly, to express myself without reservation, to bravely face all enemies, and even... to change the tragic endings."

"But you're afraid," the young man Liu Hao continued, "You're afraid of change, afraid of the unknown outcome."

"Yes," Liu Hao readily admitted, "Before I realized I was subconsciously denying these realities, I chose another path—caution, restraint, and observation. But that choice also prevented me from truly integrating into this world."

He looked at the "himself" before him with a complex expression. "You are the part of me that I rejected. You are my suppressed desires, my hidden courage, and also... the responsibility I evaded."

The young man Liu Hao, was silent for a moment, then finally smiled, "Now that you've discovered it, what are you going to do?"

"Now that we've identified a problem, we naturally need to solve it." Liu Hao smiled. "Isn't that right?"

"So how do you plan to deal with me?" The young man Liu Hao, raised the Imperial Sword. "How can we coexist?"

"You are me," Liu Hao said softly, "Why bother solving it?"

Before he could finish speaking, the young man Liu Hao had already thrust his sword forward. This time, Liu Hao did not dodge.

The Imperial Sword pierced through his body, but this time, there was no blood, no wound. Liu Hao's body turned into specks of light again, but this time, the specks of light did not dissipate, but instead, like gentle stardust, completely enveloped the young Liu Hao.

"What? Do you want to turn into ashes and devour me?" The young man Liu Hao's voice carried a hint of sarcasm.

A gigantic face appeared in the sky—the face of Liu Hao —calmly looking down. "You and I are one; there is no need for devouring."

The young man Liu Hao, looked up at that face and remained silent for a long time. Finally, he smiled and said, "I see."

That smile contained relief, understanding, and a sense of farewell.

The next second, the entire world began to collapse. It wasn't a violent explosion, but rather like a sandcastle being washed away by a tide, slowly melting away from the edges. The figure of young Liu Hao flew out from the collapsing world, transforming into a stream of light, and landed in front of the real Liu Hao.

"When did you leave that world?" he asked.

"The moment I saw you," Liu Hao replied, "The illusion I created witnessed everything, while my true self remained outside, observing and contemplating."

"I see," the young man Liu Hao nodded, "You won."

"No." Liu Hao shook his head. "What do you mean you won? You are me, and I am you. I thought I had accepted myself as one of this world, but there's always been a lingering sense of resentment inside me, preventing me from truly integrating into this world. I can fool others about this, but I can't fool myself!"

The young man, Liu Hao, looked at him, and finally transformed into a warm ball of light, slowly flying towards Liu Hao. The moment the ball of light merged into Liu Hao's chest, he felt an unprecedented sense of wholeness—as if a long-missing part had finally returned to its place.

Liu Hao closed his eyes, feeling the changes within him. Those suppressed desires, those hidden courages, those shirked responsibilities... all merged into him at this moment.

He opened his eyes, watching the darkness around him gradually dissipate, and said softly, "Just like the world before me, it's only temporarily blinding."

As soon as the words were spoken, the darkness completely dissipated.

He stood before a new set of steps—the fifth set.

Looking up, the throne was still high in the starry sky, and the Imperial Princess still held the Imperial Sword. But this time, Liu Hao could clearly feel the Imperial Sword trembling slightly in its sheath, as if responding to his more complete and resolute heart.

Passing the fourth set of steps.

Liu Hao did not rush to take the next step. He stood still, feeling the Reiatsu surging within him, which was stronger and more harmonious than ever before, and feeling the thoughts in his heart that were once opposed but now coexisted harmoniously.

Then, he took a deep breath and looked firmly at the higher steps.