Proud Tulu (Three)

He looked at Tulu, his gaze serious. "Today, I might really be unable to earn your approval. I admit it, I'm still not strong enough. I have plenty of shortcomings—I can't use Bankai, Hollowfication, or Mugetsu. I can't even use Shikai..."

As he counted them off, he fell silent. Damn, how am I this weak?

But he quickly rallied. "But I believe that as I improve, as we spend more time together, as we go through more battles together... you'll definitely come to acknowledge me."

His tone was calm, but beneath that calm lay unwavering resolve.

Tulu looked at him for a long time.

Then—

"Is that so?" He suddenly smiled—though Liu Ziyun couldn't see it through the veil, his eyes curved into crescents. "Then let me see just how firm your resolve is."

Before the words had faded, she was already in front of Liu Ziyun!

She raised her Tang saber high, terrifying crimson-black Reiatsu gathering along its edge—

"One last strike, Liu Ziyun. If you can block it, you win. If you can't..." She paused, then said softly, "Come back and try again next time."

The blade fell.

And Liu Ziyun raised his hand.

Not his sword—the sword had already shattered.

He simply raised his hand, spread his five fingers toward Tulu, and said softly, "Flying Blade, Shattered Blade Slash."

Tulu's pupils contracted!

A pale blue-green blade of light flew from Liu Ziyun's palm—small and weak, like a candle flame that could go out at any moment.

But the instant it neared Tulu—

"Swish, swish, swish, swish, swish—!!!"

It split!

The single blade of light became dozens of crescent-shaped slashes, speeding straight toward Tulu!

"Imitation?" A trace of disdain flashed in Tulu's eyes. "An imitation is still an imitation."

He waved a hand casually. "Flying Blade."

A massive crimson-black blade of light shot out, instantly swallowing every blue-green slash—

"Boom—!!!"

An explosion rang out, filling the air with dust.

Tulu's voice came from within the dust. "It seems you've reached your absolute limit. But, Liu Ziyun, you..."

Before he could finish, a Tang saber glowing with a faint brocade-colored light silently came to rest against his neck.

The blade was ice-cold against his skin.

Tulu stiffened. He slowly turned to look behind him—

Liu Ziyun stood there, panting like an ox, his whole body trembling as though he might fall apart at any moment.

But the hand holding his sword was steady.

"When..." Tulu murmured.

"Just now." Liu Ziyun grinned, though it was a strained smile. "The dust... was the perfect cover."

He paused, then added, "Besides, I used Shunpo. Its effect has been weakened a lot in this world, but... it was enough."

Tulu fell silent.

He watched the dust gradually settle. The spot where Liu Ziyun should have been standing was now empty.

Only a fading afterimage remained.

"An afterimage..." she said softly. "When did you..."

"Five years." Liu Ziyun cut her off. "For five years, I practiced Shunpo every day, running across all kinds of terrain with two hundred jin of weight on my back. It wasn't for running away. It was so..."

He paused and said seriously, "So I could be where I needed to be at a critical moment."

Tulu looked at him for a long time.

Then—

He smiled.

It wasn't a sneer or a mocking smile, but a genuine smile of appreciation.

"Very good, Liu Ziyun," he said softly. "Your efforts... I've seen them."

As soon as he spoke, terrifying crimson-black Reiatsu suddenly erupted from her!

The Reiatsu surged like a solid shock wave, instantly blasting Liu Ziyun away—

"Bang—!!!"

Liu Ziyun flew backward like a cannonball and slammed into a distant high-rise, making the entire building shake.

Then he slid limply down and collapsed on the ground, completely unconscious.

"That's enough, Tulu."

Life-Taker's voice rang out.

She floated down from the roof, landed beside Liu Ziyun, and crouched to begin treating him.

"He's already won," Life-Taker said softly. "Even if he relied on a trick, even if he barely managed it... he won."

Tulu put away his sword and walked over to the two of them. He looked at the unconscious Liu Ziyun and pursed his lips. "All right, all right. Honestly, I can't do anything with you."

There was a hint of... grievance in his voice? "I haven't even had my fill yet. With his personality, I'm sure I'll have pitifully few chances to come out in the future—he's such a coward and so afraid of trouble that he'll avoid it whenever he can and lay low whenever he can."

He sighed, his voice full of helplessness. "No fighting, no killing, no cutting people down... I don't know how many more years I'll have to live like that."

He counted on his fingers. "The Aizen incident, the Yhwach incident, and all those other random incidents... counting the days, it'll be almost two hundred years, no matter how you look at it!"

The more he spoke, the more aggrieved he sounded. "Two hundred years! Two hundred years without getting to cut people down to my heart's content! How am I supposed to live like that?!"

As Life-Taker treated Liu Ziyun, she gave him a helpless look. "All right, even if you can't fight other people, don't you still have Ziyun? When you have nothing to do, you two can fight and kill each other in the inner world—you seemed to enjoy cutting him just now, anyway."

Tulu's eyes lit up. "Oh, right! I can cut him!"

But then his spirits sank again. "But... he's too weak. The way he is now, he can't even use Shikai. I can't get excited about cutting him."

Life-Taker rolled her eyes. "Then weren't you having plenty of fun cutting him just now?"

"That was because it was new!" Tulu retorted with perfect confidence. "Once the novelty wears off, it won't be any fun!"

She crouched down and poked the unconscious Liu Ziyun's cheek. "Besides, this kid even thought about getting a Hollow's power before. He hasn't even managed to earn our approval, yet he's already thinking about Hollowfication. What a greedy fellow."

Her tone suddenly grew expectant. "Tell me... do you think we might get new members here?"

Her eyes sparkled. "Like... a White? Or a Quincy power? Then I'd have new guys to cut when I got bored!"

Life-Taker sighed helplessly. "Honestly, you..."

She looked at Liu Ziyun, her gaze gentle. "He already fully understands the true essence of the soul. He won't seek out powers from outside that have nothing to do with him—because he knows true power comes from within."

She paused, then added, "Besides... if he really dares to try Hollowfication, I'll show him the true meaning of 'Life-Taker.'"

Her tone was as gentle as ever as she said it, but the chill in her words made even Tulu shudder.

Tulu drew her head back. "All right, all right, you're right."

She looked at Liu Ziyun and fell silent for a while before suddenly asking, "Then... do you still not acknowledge him?"

Life-Taker's hands paused in the middle of treating him.

She looked up at Tulu and sighed softly:

"Acknowledge him?"

He looked at the unconscious Liu Ziyun, his expression complicated. "He's still too weak. Even if he releases us, his strength barely reaches lieutenant level—and before truly powerful fighters, that kind of strength isn't enough."

She paused and said softly, "Besides... there's still too much hesitation in his heart, too many misgivings."

Tulu wanted to say more, but when he saw Life-Taker's look—"If you dare say one more word, I'll show you what cruelty means"—he immediately changed his tune. "Never mind, never mind. Since you've spoken..."

He pursed his lips and said reluctantly, "I'll lend him my power for now."

He reached out and lightly touched Liu Ziyun's forehead with a fingertip. A wisp of crimson-black light flowed from her fingertip into Liu Ziyun's body.

"But let me make this clear first," Tulu muttered. "This is just a loan. If he doesn't perform well, I'll take it back at any time."

Life-Taker smiled. "All right, all right, I know."

She looked at Liu Ziyun and said softly, "Wake up, Ziyun. Your Zanpakuto... has acknowledged you. Even if it's only temporary. But... it's a start."

The light slowly faded.

The city of the inner world began to blur.

And the corners of the unconscious Liu Ziyun's mouth curved into a smile no one saw.

As if to say:

I won.

Even if it wasn't a pretty win.

But...

I won.

In the real world, inside the underground training ground.

Liu Ziyun, sitting cross-legged, slowly opened his eyes.

His Zanpakuto lay quietly in his hand.

A crimson-black pattern quietly appeared on its sheath.