Beautiful Women Are Dangerous...

Dark blue armor hugged the curves of her body. The shoulder guards, armguards, breastplate, armored skirt... every piece gleamed with a cold metallic sheen. Her long hair was tied in a high ponytail, and her face was still hidden behind a veil, but her eyes were entirely different.

The gentleness was gone, replaced by fierce fighting spirit!

And at some point, a Tang Dao had appeared in her hand.

Its blade was long and slender, its lines smooth, and its edge shimmered faintly with brocade colors. It was a deadly weapon, yet it was breathtakingly beautiful.

"Take this!"

With a sharp cry, Life-Taker slashed at him, her Tang Dao flashing like lightning!

Liu Ziyun's pupils contracted. Almost instinctively, he used Shunpo to retreat—

Whoosh!

The blade grazed past the tip of his nose, and the wind from the slash stung his face.

He narrowly dodged the blow, his heart pounding like a drum.

"Nice reflexes." Life-Taker lowered her saber and stood still, her tone turning cold. "But dodging alone won't cut it."

Saber in hand, she stood as straight as a pine. "Don't think that knowing my name means you can use me. My name only tells you how to speak to me. It doesn't mean you can earn my approval and use me."

She paused, then added, "Come on, defeat me. Let me acknowledge what's in your heart. Otherwise..."

Her lips curled into a cold smile. "Otherwise, all you can do is call my name. You won't be able to release your blade, much less use my power."

Liu Ziyun was about to speak when Life-Taker interrupted him again. "Oh, right. To put it your way, I'm a part of you. In other words, right now you 'can't use your own power.' Surprised?"

Liu Ziyun: "..."

Surprised? I'm so surprised I could cry.

Life-Taker continued, "Besides, in this inner world, it's not just your blade you can't use. All your abilities are restricted, because you can't draw on your spiritual power. So even though your Reiatsu has reached lieutenant level, it's useless here."

Liu Ziyun was dumbfounded. "Uh... is it really that troublesome? If I can't use anything, how am I supposed to beat you?"

He looked at Life-Taker pitifully, trying to act cute. "Can't we... settle this peacefully? For example, you could ask me a few questions, and if I answer them correctly, I pass?"

Life-Taker's face was expressionless. "What do you think?"

"...No."

"That's right," Life-Taker said coldly. "Don't you know women are all very willful?"

She stepped forward, her presence bearing down on him. "Since you can't earn my approval, don't be a Soul Reaper. Go back and be a good boy, reincarnate, and live as an ordinary person. That way you can also avoid those 'troubles' you talked about—Aizen, Yhwach. It would be so much easier."

Liu Ziyun grew anxious. "But I want to fight too! To fight however I please! That kind of..."

"Shut up!"

Life-Taker cut him off with a cold shout, her gaze sharp as a blade. "Is scheming all you know how to do? Weren't you also thinking of having me fight you in your inner world whenever I had nothing else to do, so you could improve your strength?"

Liu Ziyun: "!!!"

How did she know?! I really did think that! After all, how convenient would it be to have a 'built-in coach' who could spar with me anytime?

Life-Taker sneered. "Don't think I don't know what you're thinking. When are you going to stop always trying to be clever and take shortcuts?"

She tightened her grip on the Tang Dao. "If you want to fight and grow stronger, don't try to earn my approval with schemes like that."

She enunciated each word. "Unless... you defeat me."

With that, she casually tossed something—

"Catch!"

An Asauchi flew toward Liu Ziyun.

He caught it instinctively and looked down. It was the very Asauchi he usually used; the scabbard and hilt were identical.

"You're not yet qualified to use me in battle," Life-Taker said calmly. "But you can use this Asauchi. Show me what you meant when you said you 'dislike trouble, rather than fear it.'"

She raised her Tang Dao, pointing its edge straight at Liu Ziyun. "Make me understand you, acknowledge you, and submit to you. Let the fight do the talking."

"Wait!" Liu Ziyun made one last attempt. "Can't we just talk this through? Do we have to fight and kill..."

"Enough nonsense!"

Life-Taker gave him no further chance to speak. Her figure flashed as she charged like a bolt of lightning!

Clang—!!!

The blades collided, sending sparks flying.

Liu Ziyun felt a terrifying force travel through his blade, numbing the web of his hand. He slid back five or six meters before he could steady himself.

So strong!

Is this my Zanpakuto's true strength?!

Before he could catch his breath, Life-Taker's second slash was already upon him!

Clang, clang, clang—!!!

Flashes of steel formed a suffocatingly dense net. Liu Ziyun could only block and dodge desperately, completely on the defensive.

With every exchange, he felt the difference in their strength. It wasn't a gap in skill, but a fundamental suppression in every respect.

Life-Taker's saber was too fast, too heavy, too accurate.

Every block he made was a struggle, every dodge a narrow escape.

"Is this the fearlessness you spoke of?" Life-Taker mocked coldly as she attacked. "How weak."

With one slash, she knocked the Asauchi from Liu Ziyun's hand and left a shallow wound across his chest. "I've watched every bit of your training these past five years. But I have to say... your efforts have been so 'useful'! As you are, you don't deserve my approval at all!"

Her voice dripped with sarcasm, but deep in her eyes, a trace of almost imperceptible reluctance flashed.

Unfortunately, Liu Ziyun didn't see it.

Right now, only one thought filled his mind: I can't lose! I can't lose! I can't lose!

But reality was cruel.

Life-Taker sent him flying with another slash. He crashed heavily to the ground, and the Asauchi flew from his hand and rolled into the distance.

"Cough, cough..." He propped himself up, feeling as though every bone in his body was groaning.

Life-Taker stopped and did not press the attack.

She stood nearby, looking at Liu Ziyun lying on the ground. The trace of reluctance in her eyes quickly vanished, and they turned cold again.

"You've said so much and done so much, but all you've done is hypnotize yourself and deceive yourself."

Her voice was as cold as midwinter ice. "You've only been trying to make yourself believe that you merely dislike trouble and aren't afraid.

"But the truth is, you are afraid. And because you're afraid, all your efforts have been in vain."

She walked up to Liu Ziyun and looked down at him. "Give up. You can never master me or use me. Be a good boy and live as an ordinary person. Run away from all of this, so you can live safely in this... 'other world,' as you call it."

Her tone suddenly softened a little. "Maybe someday you'll return to your own world. Just like when you first came here, you always thought you were dreaming. Treat everything in this world as a dream."

With that, she turned, seemingly ready to leave.

But just then—

Liu Ziyun climbed to his feet.

His movements were slow but steady. He picked up the Asauchi, gripped its hilt tightly, and raised his head, his gaze fixed on the Tang Dao in Life-Taker's hand.

He wasn't staring at Life-Taker herself, but at her saber.

His gaze had changed.

His earlier panic, tension, and grievance had all vanished. In their place was an almost manic focus.

Life-Taker stopped and turned to look at him.

Their eyes met.

Liu Ziyun's breathing gradually steadied, but his Reiatsu—in this inner world where, by all rights, he couldn't draw on his spiritual power—actually began to rise!

It wasn't an explosive increase, but a steady, continuous climb, like a volcano awakening.

A trace of surprise flashed in Life-Taker's eyes.

Liu Ziyun looked at her, at her veiled face, at her lips as they kept moving—

But he couldn't hear her anymore.

It wasn't that he truly couldn't hear. He had... blocked her out.

All his attention was focused on that Tang Dao. He caught every tiny movement Life-Taker made, every breath, even the tremble of her eyelashes each time she blinked.

Then, from the depths of his heart, another voice rang out.

It wasn't Life-Taker's voice, nor was it his own.

It was something more primal, more instinctive. That's not how it is. Nothing I've done has been in vain. I train, I hide, I plan... all for victory. For victory in every battle to come.

I shouldn't be so dejected. I'm not this weak. I have to defeat Life-Taker. No—not just defeat her. I want her to acknowledge me from the bottom of her heart and become my inseparable partner.

The voice grew clearer and louder, until it drowned out everything else.

Deep in Liu Ziyun's eyes, flames seemed to burn.

He looked at Life-Taker and suddenly spoke. "I can't hear what you're saying anymore, Life-Taker."

His voice was calm, but beneath that calm lay suppressed madness.

"You don't acknowledge me? You want to give up on me?"

He laughed, his smile fierce. "No. None of this is how you say it is."

He tightened his grip on the Asauchi and pointed its tip at Life-Taker. "I'll show you my resolve. Everything I told you was not self-hypnosis. I train, I hide, I plan... all for one purpose—"

He took a deep breath, then roared, "So I won't be trapped by schemes! So I can do as I please in battle! So I can fight freely! I don't want to be caught by schemes and left unable to fight as I please!"

The moment the words left his mouth, he moved.

It wasn't Shunpo—he couldn't use Shunpo in this world.

It was the purest, most direct sprint!

He took one step, and the ground cracked!

On the second, his speed soared!

On the third, he became an afterimage. The Asauchi's edge tore through the air, carrying an unstoppable momentum as he slashed at Life-Taker!

Clang—!!!!!

This time, the sound of the blades colliding was deafening.

Life-Taker blocked the blow, but she was actually... forced back a step!

Beneath her veil, her lips curved into a smile no one saw.

A gleam of admiration shone in her breathtakingly beautiful eyes.

"That's more like it..."

She murmured to herself, so quietly that only she could hear.

Then she raised her saber and met his attack!

Clang, clang, clang, clang—!!!!

Blades flashed and clashed fiercely.

This time, Liu Ziyun was no longer fighting defensively.

He attacked! Attacked madly! Attacked with everything he had!

He put all his strength into every swing, and every step was resolute.

His gaze was terrifyingly focused, his movements startlingly wild.

Life-Taker blocked one slash after another, the smile in her eyes growing.

That's it...

Show me what you're really like...

Show me the little brat who dared to cling to Unohana's leg and wail...

Show me the soul who hid in Soul Society for five years...

Show me just how strong you are!

The battle grew fiercer and fiercer.

In this empty city, in this false hometown.

Liu Ziyun and his own Zanpakuto—Life-Taker.

They began, in the truest sense...

Their first clash.

And the outcome of this battle would determine everything about his future.

Would he become a Soul Reaper?

Or...

Return to where he began?

The blades still flashed.

The answer was being written.