Satisfied, Retsu Unohana's Delight

The sound of Bamboo Swords striking like a torrential downpour echoed continuously through the dojo.

Seinosuke Yamada and the others stared wide-eyed at the scene inside. Instinctively putting themselves in their place, they felt their scalps tingle and their bodies tremble.

At first, Su Feng and Retsu Unohana's Kendo exchange had still been within their range of comprehension.

The incomparably swift slashes were merely somewhat blurred.

But as time passed, the two of them grew ever more outrageous in both speed and strength. The intricate trajectories of their Bamboo Swords linked together into lines, sketching hazy shadows of light.

Even the sharp smacking sounds of the Bamboo Swords had blended into one continuous roar, like visible shockwaves of sound blanketing the dojo.

As their bodies shifted and darted, fierce winds raged, ravaging the dojo's wooden floor.

In but a few brief moments, the aftershocks of their Bamboo Sword swings had left the dojo in ruins, savage blade marks crisscrossing the floor.

"Whew... Isn't this a little too exaggerated...?"

"I knew the gap between the captain and me was enormous, but isn't this gap a bit excessive?"

"Whether it's Captain Unohana or Captain Su Feng, their Kendo has undoubtedly reached the pinnacle of Soul Society."

Seinosuke Yamada felt a swelling pain in his eyes. He stared intently at the figures in the dojo, trying to keep up with their rhythm.

Yet the sharp pressure they exuded, along with attacks too fast to follow, increasingly overwhelmed his eyes.

Until they were bloodshot and painfully dry.

He shook his head and stopped trying. The difference in strength was simply too great; forcing himself to keep up would only harm him.

Seinosuke Yamada possessed at least that much self-awareness.

The battle in the arena appeared evenly matched. Two blurred figures constantly shifted positions, and the crisp sounds of Bamboo Swords colliding echoed like a symphony.

However, only Su Feng himself knew that he was already being completely suppressed by Retsu Unohana, and had even fallen into her rhythm.

There was still quite a considerable gap between one 10th Dan and another.

Su Feng was a 10th Dan because his skill had only just met the standard.

But Retsu Unohana was a 10th Dan because Soul Society's Kendo ranking system only went up to 10th Dan.

In Su Feng's view, her claim of having mastered every school in the world was not exaggerated in the slightest.

If anything, it was an understatement.

At Retsu Unohana's level, creating ten or even a hundred schools was as easy and natural as drinking water.

From the start of the battle until now, none of the Kendo techniques she had displayed had repeated even once.

Moreover, every move flowed seamlessly into the next, natural and harmonious, as perfect as the heavens themselves, without the slightest flaw to be found.

As the battle continued, Su Feng's nerves tightened further. With his full concentration focused, Wind Breath seemed to swirl within his eyes.

He tried to disrupt Retsu Unohana's rhythm and seize control of the battle's flow.

Yet even when he employed the Kendo school he had created himself, she remained unmoved, countering in an instant with techniques from several different schools.

The angles and force of her swings were simply unheard of.

If nothing unexpected had happened, this was likely another school Retsu Unohana had created herself.

As for whether she had conceived it in her daily life or created the techniques in the midst of battle, there was no way to know.

As time passed, Retsu Unohana seemed to notice Su Feng's predicament and deliberately slowed her Bamboo Sword by a fraction.

Su Feng immediately felt the pressure ease, and even the arm swinging his sword grew lighter.

The rhythm returned once more to the space between them.

Their Bamboo Swords moved light, slow, heavy, and swift, painting a picture of peerless beauty.

Like a sponge, Su Feng desperately absorbed Retsu Unohana's Kendo knowledge, tempering it amid battle into something of his own.

With Retsu Unohana deliberately guiding him, his Kendo improved at a staggering pace.

Kendo was one of the Shinigami's four fundamental combat arts.

Even a minor improvement could be reflected in one's overall strength.

At a time when improving his strength had become increasingly difficult, even the most insignificant change was enough to delight and surprise Su Feng.

Once he realized this, the look he gave Retsu Unohana became intensely fervent.

It held no personal emotion, only absolute purity toward Kendo.

Their gazes met in midair, and the air seemed to carry the scent of scorching heat.

To her surprise, Retsu Unohana discovered that Captain Su Feng seemed to be steadily drawing closer to her, gradually becoming someone with a personality like hers.

Was it mutual appreciation between Kendo masters?

Or a thirst for battle and slaughter?

Or perhaps...

Retsu Unohana did not mind Soul Society gaining another powerful warrior.

On the contrary.

She longed intensely for the emergence of strong opponents, so that she could fully enjoy the pleasure of slaughter.

Without a doubt.

Su Feng's appearance had filled the emptiness buried deep within Retsu Unohana's heart.

It was as though she had discovered a fine piece of uncut jade, one that needed only slight carving to become a priceless treasure.

The corners of her lips rose higher and higher, her irrepressible delight blending into every swing.

As Su Feng's Kendo improved, his moves took on his own style, fierce and violent like a storm.

It was as though a raging hurricane had swept through the dojo, relentlessly ravaging the already overburdened floor and walls.

Retsu Unohana was equally immersed in it. Her attacks were soaring and swift, not inferior in the slightest, while she gradually began suppressing Su Feng again, instinctively drawing him into her own combat rhythm.

Crack!

A dull burst rang out within the dojo. Countless bamboo fibers exploded outward, and fragments fell like rain, sinking into the battered floor.

The artistic Kendo exchange had come to an end.

Their Bamboo Swords shattered almost simultaneously, fragments scattering across the ground.

The difference was that the Bamboo Sword in Retsu Unohana's hand retained an extra half-length, its broom-like broken end resting against Su Feng's neck.

Unconcealed killing intent enveloped Su Feng. A bone-deep chill pierced through every pore and reached the depths of his organs.

Clearly.

In that exhilarating Kendo battle, Retsu Unohana had begun to lose her restraint over her true nature.

After a brief silence, she lowered her Bamboo Sword, and her gentle, approachable aura returned once more.

"That was a deeply satisfying Kendo exchange."

Retsu Unohana's familiar smile reappeared. Paired with her pure white Kendo uniform, she inevitably brought to mind a pristine white orchid.

"Without a doubt."

"Captain Su Feng's Kendo has already completely reached the pinnacle of Soul Society."

At this, she let out a long sigh and slowly said with the air of a sage:

"However, there is still quite a long road ahead before one can truly master Kendo."

"If Captain Su Feng does not mind..."

Retsu Unohana smiled gently. "Please come to the Fourth Division often for more exchanges!"