Bankai Training, Fearlessness

Standing before the eighth step, Liu Hao slowly clenched his fists, feeling the surging new power within him. It wasn't the pressure of a Shinigami, the wildness of a Hollow, the purity of a Quincy, or the agility of Fullbring—it was a power that transcended all of these, a power belonging to his own very being.

This power is ancient and sacred, vast yet restrained. It seems to contain the possibilities of all things in the world, yet it maintains its own purity and independence. Liu Hao could sense that, if he wished, this power could simulate any known form of power—the slash of Soul Reaper, the Spirit Bow of Quincy, the Cero of a Hollow, the Fullbring, and even the authority of Soul King.

But this is ultimately a "simulation," not "possession." The power of the origin remains constant.

After a moment of adjustment, Liu Hao took a deep breath, lifted his foot, and stepped onto the eighth step.

The world before my eyes has changed once again.

The starry sky, an endless starry sky.

But this time the starry sky was different from the past—in the center of the starry sky, there was a huge image that almost filled the entire field of vision. It was not a simple projection, but something more real and profound, as if it were the embodiment of memory itself, suspended in space and time.

The image began to move.

Act 1: In the ruins of Rukongai, several small figures are fleeing in disarray. They are young Liu Hao, Renji Abarai, Rukia Kuchiki, and several other companions whose faces have become blurred. Behind them, a ferocious Gillian- class Menos Grande is approaching, emitting a soul-chilling the Roar.

Liu Hao looked at himself in the image—a boy of about ten years old, pale-faced, his eyes filled with pure, undisguised fear. Even though he didn't fully accept the "reality" of this world deep down, he couldn't suppress the instinctive fear in the face of death.

The children in the video run desperately until the ghost is destroyed by the approaching Soul Reaper. At that moment, the joy of surviving a disaster shines on the faces of every child. Liu Hao can even clearly feel the relief of "thank goodness I'm alive" in the video.

The feeling was so real, so vivid, that Liu Hao felt as if he had returned to that time, reliving the complex emotions of fear and relief.

Act Two: Before several simple graves, three slightly older figures stand silently. The names of their deceased companions are engraved on the tombstones— Ogawa, Ishida, Sanae... Liu Hao remembers each of them, their smiles, and their final appearances.

In the image, Liu Hao's head is bowed, his shoulders trembling slightly. The sorrow is so heavy, so real. But at the same time, Liu Hao can also feel a faint, almost unacknowledged thought deep within his own heart—"Thank goodness, I'm still alive."

As long as you live, there is hope. As long as you live, you can become stronger. As long as you live... you won't disappear silently into some corner of Rukongai like them.

Act III: Before the magnificent gates of Seireitei, three teenagers gaze up at the towering walls, their eyes filled with both excitement and unease. This is the day they register to enter the Shin'ō Academy, the beginning of a destiny-changing event.

But in the scene, Liu Hao, besides being excited, also has a deeper emotion—fear of Sōsuke Aizen and worry about the future of himself and his companions. The heavy burden brought by "knowing the future" seems so abrupt and out of place on him at that age.

The screen continued to pan.

Act IV: In the dormitory of the Shin'ō Academy, Liu Hao is "sick". He lies on the bed, pale and breathing weakly. When Sōsuke Aizen comes to visit him in the dormitory with Renji Abarai, Liu Hao in the scene is almost trying his best to maintain the disguise of "patient".

That fear, that terror, that heart pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of his chest... all of this was clearly conveyed to Liu Hao, who was watching at that moment, through the screen.

"Shame..."

Liu Hao uttered those two words in a low voice, his voice filled with suppressed anger. He saw the evasiveness in the depths of his own eyes in the image, the almost instinctive fear in front of Aizen, and the excessive caution that arose from "knowing the truth."

Each scene continues.

Act 5: Liu Hao "accidentally" Aizen in the corridor. He practically has to walk close to the wall, unable to meet Aizen's gaze.

Act VI: In class, when Aizen asks a question, Liu Hao always lowers his head and pretends to be thinking.

Act VII: During practical training, when Aizen appears as the examiner, Liu Hao's performance is always a few points worse than usual.

Time and time again, repeatedly. In the scene, Liu Hao is always cautious and timid in front of Aizen, always like a child who has done something wrong, afraid to face that gentle and refined teacher.

The sense of humiliation accumulated in Liu Hao's heart, growing bigger and heavier like a snowball.

The scene finally changed.

Act 8: On the Training Ground of the Fourth Division, Liu Hao and Kaien Shiba stand facing each other. Both have drawn their Zanpakuto, and their Reiatsu clashes fiercely in the air.

"She wanted to switch to internal affairs; that was her choice." Kaien Shiba's voice was tinged with displeasure. "What right do you have to interfere?"

"Because I can beat you." Liu Hao replied in the video, his voice calm yet firm.

The battle began. Liu Hao used almost all his strength, Zanjutsu, Kidō, and Shunpo to their limits. He showed no mercy, held nothing back, because he knew that only by completely defeating Kaien Shiba could he gain the other's approval.

In the end, Kaien Shiba was overwhelmed and had to admit defeat.

Seeing this scene, Liu Hao felt a complex mix of emotions. There was relief, helplessness, but mostly... shame.

"Sigh..." he sighed softly, "I can't handle Aizen, so I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you, Vice-Captain Kaien."

The feeling was strange—the fear he felt when facing Aizen transformed into excessive toughness when facing others. It was as if, having lost courage in one place, he had to compensate double in another.

The scene continues.

Act 9: After becoming the Medical Guard Team Lieutenant, Liu Hao began to frequently visit various squads, requesting the Captains or Vice-Captains to guide his training. Third Division, Squad Six, Seventh Division, Eighth Division, Tenth Division, 11th Division... He even went to the Research and Development Institute and had a "not-so-pleasant" exchange with Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

But he visited the Fifth Division the least. Even when he did go, he always tried to avoid Aizen, only interacting with the Vice-Captain Momo Hinamori or the Third Seat and Fourth Seats.

That deliberate avoidance, that almost pathological caution, made Liu Hao, who was watching the scene, feel an indescribable sense of frustration.

Why? Why are you so afraid of Sōsuke Aizen?

The image provides the answer.

Act 10: Outside the Fifth Division Barracks, Liu Hao "accidentally" encounters Aizen, who is taking a walk. This time, he does not avoid him.

"Captain Aizen, could you please demonstrate the Shikai of your Zanpakuto?" Liu Hao asked in the video, his voice calm, but a barely perceptible tremor lurked deep within his eyes. "I've always been curious about what kind of ability Kyōka Suigetsu possesses."

Aizen smiled and agreed. He drew his Zanpakuto, uttered the release command, and the illusion of Kyōka Suigetsu unfolded.

In the scene, Liu Hao "saw" the scene that Aizen wanted him to see—cherry blossoms falling, flowing water, everything so beautiful and peaceful.

In that illusion, Liu Hao's expression gradually became blank, and his eyes gradually lost focus. He "believed" everything he saw, and believed the dream that Aizen had woven for him.

When the illusion dissipated, Liu Hao in the scene Aizen and then turned to leave. The moment he turned, his eyes regained their clarity, but his face bore a bitter smile that was almost self-mocking.

"See?" Liu Hao muttered to himself, "In the end, wasn't it all just to lower Aizen's guard and make him accept the hypnosis of Kyōka Suigetsu?"

The feeling was awful—knowing it was a trap, yet having no choice but to jump in; knowing it was an illusion, yet having no choice but to "believe." That cautiousness of dancing on a knife's edge, that constant vigilance, was almost driving him mad.

The scene continues to move forward.

Scene 11: In the Fourth Division Captain's Room, Liu Hao and Retsu Unohana sit facing each other. He is recounting Aizen's conspiracy, the Hollowfication Experiment, and the future crisis. His voice is calm, but every word is carefully considered, and every detail is repeatedly pondered.

He even specifically mentioned the need to be careful not to let "some being" realize that you know these secrets.

"Something that exists," rather than directly saying "Yhwach."

That excessive caution, that almost obsessive defensiveness, made Liu Hao, who was watching the scene, feel a surge of irritation.

Act Twelve: When Liu Hao talks to others, he always intentionally or unintentionally avoids topics related to the Quincy. Even if he has to mention them, he will use vague words to replace them or quickly change the subject.

That fear, that dread, that anxiety about "alerting the enemy"... is clearly conveyed through the visuals.

Looking at his own cautious and meticulous self in the image, Liu Hao's dissatisfaction reached its peak.

Why such fear? Why are you always so hesitant and timid in your actions? If you want to change things, why are you afraid that the situation will turn out beyond your control?

This contradiction, this hesitation, this mentality that is always oscillating between "change" and "maintaining the status quo"... made Liu Hao feel a deep sense of powerlessness and anger.

The scene has reached its most crucial moment.

Act Thirteen: In Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's Private Training Ground, Liu Hao is telling the Captain-Commander and Unohana about Ichigo Kurosaki. He describes how the orange-haired boy became Substitute Soul Reaper, how he saved Soul Society, and how... he ultimately defeated Yhwach.

"Therefore," Liu Hao concluded in the video, "That child is key to the future. We must protect him and ensure his healthy growth."

At that moment, Liu Hao, who was watching the scene, felt a surge of heat rush to his head.

Unwilling, intensely unwilling.

Why be afraid? Why rely on a brat to bail you out? Can't you end it all yourself? How ridiculous, how... cowardly, to gamble everything on a future boy!

Just as Liu Hao's resentment reached its peak, the scene suddenly changed.

This isn't Liu Hao's past experience, but rather a "what if"—what if he hadn't been so afraid when facing Aizen?

A new scene unfolds: On Souji Hill, Aizen attempts to extract the Hōgyoku from Rukia's body. But this time, Liu Hao doesn't wait for Ichigo Kurosaki; instead, he steps forward directly.

"That's enough, Captain Aizen." Liu Hao's voice was firm, and his eyes were sharp.

He broke through the illusion of Kyōka Suigetsu, allowing all the Captains to see the real Aizen. The battle erupted.

But a problem arose—due to the influence of Kyōka Suigetsu, the other Captains and the Visored members who arrived later did not see the real battle. In their eyes, Liu Hao became the "enemy," and Aizen "someone who needs protection."

Thus, an absurd scene unfolded: Liu Hao had to fight Aizen while simultaneously dealing with attacks from his "comrades." He had to be distracted and show mercy because he knew these people were merely being deceived by illusions.

Ultimately, Liu Hao used his spatial abilities to temporarily seal everyone away, allowing him to focus on fighting Aizen. However, maintaining the spatial seal consumed a great deal of his power, causing him to gradually fall into a disadvantageous position in his battle against Aizen.

Just as Aizen was about to deliver the fatal blow, Ichigo Kurosaki arrived.

The following plot unfolded almost exactly as Liu Hao "knew" —Ichigo Kurosaki fought Aizen and, with the help of Kisuke Urahara, finally sealed Aizen away.

The scene continues to move forward.

After the Aizen incident, Liu Hao shared information about the Quincy with all Captains, Vice-Captains, and strong Seated Officer. With technical support from Kisuke Urahara and Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the Gotei 13 began a five-year intensive training program.

Five years later, the Gotei 13 took the initiative and opened a passage to the Wandenreich through technological means. Led by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, they launched a strong attack.

Thanks to the intelligence provided by Liu Hao, the Quincy's methods of seizing Bankai became ineffective in the early stages of the battle. The Soul Reaper who could Bankai could attack with all their might without any restraint, and the battle situation was once extremely favorable to the Gotei 13.

However, the Quincy quickly adjusted their tactics—they no longer attempted to seize Bankai, but instead directly used "Complete Vollständig." This resulted in heavy casualties among the ordinary Soul Reaper of the Gotei 13, but the high-ranking Shinigami suffered relatively fewer losses due to their intelligence preparation.

Finally, the group stormed up to Yhwach.

However, Yhwach revealed a sinister smile in the face of the Soul Reapers ' attack.

"Thank you for your help," he said, "Which has enabled my people to return more quickly."

The moment he finished speaking, he activated "Auswählen." The power of countless Quincy was forcibly recovered, and the Sternritter members who died in the battle were resurrected under the power of Auswählen, gaining even greater power.

The ensuing battle was exceptionally fierce. Although Liu Hao and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto joined forces to finally defeat Yhwach, they could not find a way to completely kill him.

In the end, Liu Hao had no choice but to use his spatial abilities to completely seal Yhwach.

The scene abruptly ends here.

The sky returned to calm, and the enormous image slowly dissipated, transforming into starlight that merged into the endless darkness.

Liu Hao stood there, his mind replaying everything he had just witnessed: the choices he had made in the past, the possibilities of "what ifs," and the ultimate outcomes...

Just then, a familiar voice suddenly rang in his heart:

"Idiot, haven't you noticed the problem yet?"

Liu Hao was startled. "How are you still here? I should have already defeated you!"

"Hmph, defeat me?" Red-haired Liu Hao's voice was full of sarcasm. "Haha, that's laughable. I told you back then that you had no chance of winning; I just didn't want to get entangled with you anymore."

"Then why did you make this choice?" Liu Hao asked in a deep voice.

"Tch, since I am your inner demon, I naturally hope you become stronger." The red-haired Liu Hao's tone was tinged with complexity. "After all, your power and mine share the same origin. If you become stronger, I will become stronger too. If you become weaker, I will disappear."

Liu Hao was silent for a moment. "Just like the White inside Ichigo Kurosaki?"

"I'm not that kind of thing!" Red-haired Liu Hao retorted disdainfully. "After all, that guy fused with Ichigo Kurosaki's Soul Reaper power, which is the source of his power. Once he takes control of his body, he will completely turn into a Hollow. But I'm different. I won't turn into something without reason."

"Is that so?" Liu Hao's voice calmed down. "But I won't let you succeed."

"Hmph, you don't even know what this test is, yet you want me to disappear completely? Who gave you that confidence?" Red-haired Liu Hao's sarcasm became even more pronounced.

Liu Hao took a deep breath. "Of course I know why these images are being shown here. It's because I was afraid from the very beginning, so I did everything hesitantly. If you want to gain power, you can't have fear in your heart."

"Since you know this, why haven't you left yet?" Red-haired Liu Hao questioned. "Because you're still afraid! How can you pass this test if you can't be fearless? Let me do it; only I can be truly fearless and complete the test!"

Liu Hao did not answer.

He sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to recall everything from the past—from his escape from Rukongai, to his studies at the Shin'ō Academy, to his duties in the Fourth Division, to his dealings with Aizen, to his battle with Shanks...

He retraced his own emotional journey, re-examined every choice, and confronted every fear anew.

He saw himself trembling before Hollows, cowering before Aizen, and hesitating before the unknown. He saw his excessive caution stemming from "knowing the future," and his contradictory mindset arising from his fear of change.

But this time, he did not evade, deny, or attempt to "correct" it.

He simply watched, simply accepted, simply... understood.

Understand the self you once feared, understand the choices you were forced to make, and understand the courage to keep moving forward under immense pressure.

Yes, courage.

Despite fear, despite hesitation, despite countless thoughts of giving up... he still made it this far, still fought, and still tried to change those "known" tragedies.

That's not the courage of "fearlessness," but the courage of "knowing the fear yet still moving forward."

More powerful, more real, more... precious.

Time passed in the stillness. Perhaps an hour, perhaps a day, perhaps a year—in this space of trial, time lost its meaning.

Finally, Liu Hao opened his eyes.

The confusion, hesitation, and contradiction in those eyes were gone. In their place was a clear, firm, almost transparent light.

That is not blind self-confidence of "fearlessness", but a clear awareness of "accepting fear and transcending fear".

He saw his fears, acknowledged his weaknesses, and understood his limitations... and then chose to move forward.

At that very moment, the surrounding starry sky began to dissipate.

It's not disintegration, not shattering, but rather like morning mist meeting the sunlight, slowly and gently fading away.

As the last glimmer of starlight disappeared, Liu Hao found himself standing before a new staircase—the ninth and final one.

The Imperial Path has nine stages and nine steps; he has already completed eight stages.

The final test is just around the corner.

Liu Hao slowly stood up, feeling the new power within him become more solid and harmonious with his inner enlightenment. It wasn't simply becoming stronger, but a sublimation of essence, a completeness of the soul.

He raised his head and looked up.

The throne remained at the edge of the void, and the Imperial Princess still held the Imperial Sword. But this time, Liu Hao could clearly see that the corners of the Imperial Princess's mouth had slightly turned up in an almost imperceptible arc.

It was a smile of approval, a gesture of expectation.

Liu Hao took a deep breath and looked firmly at the last step of the stairs.