The Murderer's Romance

The intense battle between Araki and Unohana continued unabated…

Crimson slashes tore through the sky, and dazzling Ruriko melted the earth.

If she could, Unohana Yachiru wished that her battle with Araki would never end. Even if the heavens crumbled and the three realms shattered, Unohana only wanted to fight forever, blade to blade, fist to flesh. She was a person born for battle!

"Ah! This is the feeling~"

A happy smile bloomed on Unohana's face. She had long forgotten how long it had been since she'd encountered an opponent as powerful as Araki, almost his equal…

However, just as the sea of blood beneath Unohana's feet was not endless, when her Spiritual Pressure and stamina were almost completely depleted, the Ruriko in the sky still shone brightly!

"Is that so? So your Bankai ability is different from mine?"

"Besides its healing ability for yourself, the Ruriko shining in the sky also has the ability to weaken my Spiritual Pressure and stamina. Furthermore, it seems even the healing ability of this Zanpakuto in my hand has been weakened by your Zanpakuto…"

Unohana Yachiru stopped swinging her blade. She looked up at the Ruriko in the sky, which seemed to have replaced the sun and shone eternally, and a look of realization dawned on her.

When Unohana saw that Araki's Ruriko, like her sea of blood, could rapidly heal all injuries Araki sustained, she had originally thought that Araki's Bankai was the same as hers!

Their Zanpakuto should both possess high-speed healing abilities…

However, when Unohana discovered that her Spiritual Pressure and stamina were rapidly declining at an abnormal rate, she suddenly understood…

It turned out that Araki's Zanpakuto not only healed its user but could also weaken the enemy's stamina and Spiritual Pressure!

But this weakening was incredibly slow, like boiling a frog in warm water. The enemy wouldn't notice it in a short time, but once they did, it would be too late.

Just like her current situation, by the time she discovered the profound ability of Araki's Zanpakuto, she no longer had the strength to fight Araki. In fact, even the Zanpakuto she held in her hand felt incredibly heavy…

Araki had even taken away her strength to swing her blade.

"To be precise, my Ruriko doesn't weaken your Spiritual Pressure and stamina. Instead, it assimilates your Spiritual Pressure and takes away your stamina."

Araki showed no intention of concealing anything after hearing Unohana's words. He not only generously admitted his Zanpakuto's ability but also specifically corrected Unohana's misunderstanding of its power.

Yes, don't misunderstand. His Zanpakuto wasn't just some simple ability to weaken others!

Instead, it was a comprehensive plunder of the enemy's Spiritual Pressure, stamina, and abilities!

Because currently, only Araki, Unohana, and Captain-Commander Yamamoto were present, Araki briefly explained his ability…

After all, one was his future main wife, and the other was his master. Strictly speaking, there were no outsiders here~

"Your Zanpakuto can assimilate my Spiritual Pressure? I see…"

Unohana instantly understood Araki's meaning after hearing his explanation.

Unohana had been curious why Araki, whose Spiritual Pressure was clearly inferior to hers, hadn't shown any fatigue despite fighting her until she was almost exhausted.

Now she finally understood. While fighting her, Araki had been continuously 'stealing' her Spiritual Pressure and stamina through the Ruriko in his hand.

With this ebb and flow, let alone an enemy who was evenly matched with Araki, no one would be Araki's opponent!

Even beings more powerful than Araki would find his ability incredibly troublesome!

To be precise, as long as Araki's enemies didn't have a way to defeat him instantly or in a short amount of time, once they were dragged into his battle rhythm, the ultimate victor would only be Araki.

"Have I lost?"

Unohana Yachiru murmured. Although she wanted to continue fighting, her delicate wrists no longer had the strength to wield her blade.

Powerless to fight on, Unohana stood with all her might amidst the ruins. Her hollow gaze seemed to see her life flash before her eyes, her experiences over the years passing like a slideshow, frame by frame…

She! She had never been a good person~

Before she met Captain-Commander Yamamoto, she was like a killing machine, constantly challenging various Swordsmanship schools in Soul Society, slaughtering countless heroes, a notorious villain throughout Soul Society…

Originally, a great villain like her should have died the day she met Captain-Commander Yamamoto!

Perhaps Captain-Commander Yamamoto took pity on her, or perhaps it wasn't her time to die. That day, she not only survived but also became the Captain of the Gotei 13, 11th Division! From then on, a killer appeared in Seireitei, shouting slogans of 'protection' but in reality engaging in slaughter!

However, all of this would end after she met Araki.

"I've lost to Genryu twice now~"

Unohana smiled. She had come to terms with it, and so she opened her arms to embrace her impending end.

She calmly accepted her defeat, but she still clutched her Zanpakuto. Clearly, she admitted losing to Araki, but she hadn't lost to Araki's Swordsmanship, but rather to the superiority of Araki's Zanpakuto. Thus, her fighting spirit remained high, thus she was still…unsatisfied!

But a loss was a loss. She wouldn't renege. From today onwards, she would no longer be the Captain of the Gotei 13, 11th Division, and the name Kenpachi would be inherited by Araki.

Those who bear the name Kenpachi shall boldly face their end!

"Those who kill shall be killed."

The day Unohana first wielded her sword, she saw her own end. She just never expected it to come so quickly… But perhaps quickly was better. It was certainly better than her being bored with this dull world, constantly failing to find someone worthy of a fight!

"Alright! Don't hesitate! Cut me down with your sword!"

Unohana looked at Araki and spoke thus.

Pfft.

Araki looked at Unohana, who had actively accepted her defeat, and approached her with his sharp blade. Araki said nothing more; everything else was superfluous now…

Araki gazed at the beautiful woman before him with an indifferent expression. He raised his Zanpakuto high, then thrust the blade into Unohana's chest! Blood splattered across the ground at that moment!

"That's how it is…"

"So, goodbye, 'Genryu's License of Full Mastery'!"

Unohana finally met the end she had always anticipated, but before she could bid Araki farewell, a surge of immense vitality flowed from the Zanpakuto Araki had thrust into her body, nourishing her utterly depleted form.

"Hm?!"

Unohana, who had already accepted defeat and was awaiting 'death,' couldn't help but widen her eyes upon feeling the powerful life force within her.

"My strength, it's back?" Unohana was stunned for a moment, then asked Araki, "What do you mean by this?"

"You lose one round and you're giving up? Where in this world would you find such a good thing?"

"The victor is king, the loser is a bandit! The defeated must obey the commands of the victor! That's been the rule in the Soul Society since ancient times, so don't even think about running off like that!"

Araki looked at Unohana's stunned expression and smiled.

"One era doesn't need two Kenpachi!"

Unohana understood Araki's meaning. She had experienced the loneliness Araki spoke of, but she remained stubborn.

"Huh?"

"Someone who lost, why are you talking so much?"

Araki looked at the obstinate Unohana, and with his free hand, he forcefully poked her fair forehead, leaving a bright red mark.

Seeing Unohana frown, Araki pulled the Zanpakuto from her body and continued, "To be honest, as long as I'm alive, whether you choose to end your own life or intentionally die at someone else's hands! The sword in my hand can endlessly bring you back from 'hell'!"

"In other words, as long as I'm alive, you can't die! If you want to fulfill your path, if you want to achieve your goal, then you only have one choice! Defeat me, and then kill me!"

"…"

Araki's words were like a sharp blade, piercing directly through Unohana's heart, as if injecting a powerful stimulant into her already dead heart!

Her body trembled uncontrollably at that moment. Unohana seemed to have long forgotten what it felt like to chase in the footsteps of those who came before her, but now she remembered again.

"Ah~"

"Araki, I think I might have 'fallen in love' with you!"

"I, Unohana, swear here and now, 'you' will only die by 'my' sword!"

Unohana's beautiful face gradually twisted at that moment. A slightly sinister and morbid smile appeared on her somewhat pale face. Every cell in her body felt boundless pleasure because of Araki's words!

In Unohana's view, in this utterly boring world, there was nothing more 'flavorful' or 'wonderful' than pursuing one's love, and then, on a magnificent and grand stage, using a battle, a victory or defeat, as the closing ceremony of one's life.

"Minazuki!"

As Unohana's Spiritual Pressure recovered, her surroundings once again filled with 'endless' blood.

This time, Unohana didn't wield the surrounding blood as a weapon against Araki. Instead, she lightly touched the blade to the pool of blood on the ground, allowing the flowing blood to slowly climb up her sword…

In an instant, the blood stained Unohana Yachiru's entire body, like a crimson blood-robe draped over her graceful figure!

At once, the crimson Unohana, atop her morbidity and twistedness, gained a touch of alluring charm, like a red-clad vengeful spirit, like a stunning Rakshasa…

"Unohana, I truly look forward to the day you defeat me~"

"So go forward! Get stronger! Strive to defeat me! Unohana Yachiru!!"

Araki gazed at Unohana, who resembled a Rakshasa or vengeful spirit, and a slight smile played on his lips.

"Continue to illuminate! Ruriko…"

As he spoke, the Zanpakuto in Araki's hand suddenly radiated a dazzling Ruriko. A Jade Guanyin, exuding boundless pressure, condensed behind Araki, then draped itself over Araki's body like an outer garment.

At this moment, Guanyin descended upon the Rakshasa!

"Before I met you, I wielded my sword for myself alone."

"After I met you, I wield my sword only for you!"

Unohana gazed at the brilliant, beautiful Ruriko, and a look of intoxication appeared on her exquisite face.

A murderer might not understand what 'love' truly is, but a murderer has their own kind of romance~

When the light dissipated, Araki instantly appeared beside Unohana, catching the former 'Kenpachi,' Unohana, who was falling backward with a smile on her face.

Hmm, marrying her properly would simply be too slow…

It's faster to 'take' her forcefully!

Cough, cough…

Ah. This chapter was so hard to write! I realize I can't write the kind of grand, high-minded confessions that the Bartender writes, I can only write about two murderers, wielding swords for each other, and a redemption that spans thousands of years together. I hope everyone likes it! If anything doesn't quite fit, I hope you'll be understanding. I really did my best! Also, the pace is indeed a bit slow; I'll speed it up later. There's one more chapter, it might be updated a bit late.