In Soul Society, All He Wanted Was to Coast into Retirement

Yet the next second, an utterly terrifying sense of danger surged into his mind!

Her sword had not vanished. It had launched a surprise attack from an angle he could not see!

When masters crossed blades, the slightest error could lead to a vastly different outcome.

From the moment Yamabuki Chidori froze in surprise, the outcome had already been decided.

"Pshk!"

Unohana's Zanpakuto pierced straight through Yamabuki Chidori's body.

"You are indeed formidable, but against me, you are still far from enough!" Unohana turned and pulled out her blade, blood spraying out like a fountain. It was over. She was ready to seek out a new opponent.

Just as Unohana was about to turn and leave, she saw Yamabuki Chidori shakily rise to his feet, using his sword as a cane. "What do you mean, it's over? I haven't even started yet. This only counts as foreplay! Again!"

The look Unohana gave Yamabuki Chidori became deeply unsettling. An ordinary person might not survive a penetrating wound like that even if they were sent to the hospital immediately, yet this boy stood there talking to her as though nothing had happened. Was he really human? How could a person possibly do something like this? Unohana's eyes lit up, like a cat that had discovered a little mouse it could not break. She changed her mind. She wanted to cut this boy open and see what exactly he was made of!

Yamabuki Chidori discovered something very strange. He had not used Kido to heal his wound, yet the cells and tissues in his body were regenerating at an astonishing speed.

"Because I've been injured too many times... did I trigger Super Regeneration?" Yamabuki Chidori was not entirely sure. Wanting to run an experiment, he said to Unohana, "Cut me a couple more times. Let me see what it feels like!"

"Hmm????" Unohana looked at Yamabuki Chidori in horror. Was this the legendary kind of pervert? She had actually run into a pervert today!

Since you had made such a perverted request, she could only satisfy it.

Unohana Flash Stepped forward and stabbed straight through Yamabuki Chidori's body. Not only that, she twisted the blade, directly shredding his intestines.

Such pain was beyond what an ordinary person could endure, yet as Yamabuki Chidori hurt, he discovered that it felt amazing!

Even if his internal organs were damaged, as long as he had enough Reiatsu, the cells inside his body would regenerate at extreme speed!

Had he gone too far with all that self-torture before?

Maybe even his own body could not stand watching anymore and wanted to give him a hand!

"You're not human!" Unohana said in horror.

"Hey, don't insult people! How am I not human? I didn't do anything to you! I'm the dignified Chief Strategist of the Gotei 13. If people heard that, how would I ever show my face again?" Yamabuki Chidori shouted.

No matter how one looked at it, though, the scene was simply too horrifying. When Unohana pulled out her sword, she could clearly see the other party's internal organs writhing, followed by the wound healing at an unimaginable speed. In barely ten seconds, Yamabuki Chidori stood before her joking around as though he had never been injured at all.

"So... the only way to defeat you is to kill you in one strike!" Unohana gripped her sword with both hands, her face full of excitement.

Ultimate Showdown, Sen no Sen

Only now had the two of them truly cut loose.

Their fighting styles had also changed completely. At first, they had both attacked and defended, but after Yamabuki Chidori became familiar with his body's structure, he stopped defending against anything except attacks aimed at his head and heart. If you had what it took, then stab him to death!

Their style gradually shifted from countering each move to a berserker-style brawl. The two of them gripped their blades and hacked at each other for dear life!

The aftershocks of their Reiatsu quickly destroyed the remaining half of Central 46, while even the surrounding buildings were caught in the devastation. Everyone watching from afar was horrified by the battle.

Gen'en Kinra leaned against a large tree to rest, a bitter smile on his face. That kid Yamabuki had actually reached this level already!

He had secretly worked hard and gotten stronger behind everyone's backs!

Trying to one-up everyone!

Mind's Eye had really gone rotten!

Little did he know that even after awakening the bug-like ability of Super Regeneration, Yamabuki Chidori was still several levels behind Unohana in swordsmanship.

After another round of probing attacks, Unohana realized that other than his head and heart, he did not care about defending any part of his body. She simply gave up attacking elsewhere, directing every strike at his head and heart.

Moreover, both of them could see the flaws in the other's swordsmanship, and both knew the flaws in their own. Under such circumstances, what they competed in was Reiatsu and experience—two things in which Yamabuki Chidori was far inferior to Unohana.

As the two fought more fiercely, the scales of victory gradually tipped toward Unohana.

Yamabuki Chidori's wounds were multiplying. Eventually, he realized that the speed of his Super Regeneration could no longer keep up with the speed at which he was being injured. The ribbon binding Unohana's braid was cut apart, leaving her hair loose around her shoulders. She laughed wildly, like an Asura descended into the world!

"I think I understand the level your swordsmanship has reached. Let's end this boring warm-up!" Unohana's voice brimmed with excitement. It had been a very long time since she had fought this satisfyingly.

But this was as far as it went!

The next second, Unohana's blade broke through every defense and pierced Yamabuki Chidori's shoulder. Then she jerked it viciously upward, ripping open his entire shoulder blade. Yamabuki Chidori countered with a backhand slash, the edge grazing Unohana's cheek and leaving a two-inch wound on her delicate face. At the same time, he found the flaw in Unohana's current stance.

The moment Yamabuki Chidori thrust his sword forward, a sinister smile appeared on Unohana's face.

Not good!

Yamabuki Chidori hastily withdrew his sword, but it was already too late. His wrist was severed in a single strike, blood gushing out like a spring!

"How? That was clearly the flaw in her swordsmanship. Logically, she shouldn't have..." Yamabuki Chidori stared in shock.

Unohana seemed to see through his confusion and calmly explained, "A swordsmanship master can see through the flaws in an enemy's swordsmanship at a glance and exploit them. This is called striking after the opponent moves, yet arriving first. It is also known as Go no Sen."

"And I can predict your movements before you even draw your sword. That is called Sen no Sen," Unohana said lightly.

In other words, I predicted your prediction.

"Holy shit! Did you awaken Observation Haki or something? This is way too ridiculous! How can anyone do that? Wait, if she can do it... then there's no reason I can't!" Yamabuki Chidori waved his remaining hand. Threads formed from spirit particles wrapped around the hand lying on the ground, yanking it back to him. He pressed the severed hand against the wound, and flesh and blood instantly intertwined. Within only a few breaths, it had fully recovered.

It seemed he had learned many things during this battle!

Sen no Sen, right?

Searching for the opponent's flaws while predicting their trajectory sounded complicated, but in actual combat, it was only an instant of instinct. Perhaps before your brain even understood what had happened, your sword had already swung according to that feeling!

Yamabuki Chidori discovered that his swordsmanship was improving at an incredible pace.

"Don't stop! Keep going!"

Unohana rushed forward, the sword in her hand transforming into a misty blur as terrifying Reiatsu erupted from her. The two of them became berserkers, clashing madly!

The collision of their Reiatsu leveled everything within several kilometers!

Their battle gradually entered a new rhythm. Both could predict the other's actions in advance, and within a short time, both had reached the realm of Sen no Sen.

The more Unohana fought, the more alarmed she became. This boy's Reiatsu and swordsmanship were both improving at an astonishing speed.

They had fought for less than ten minutes in total, yet Yamabuki Chidori's swordsmanship had risen from first-rate to the grandmaster level of Sen no Sen. Even Unohana had taken a long time to reach that level!

Not only that, this boy's Reiatsu and swordsmanship were still improving. In swordsmanship alone, he had already risen to roughly her level.

At that instant, the blade in Yamabuki Chidori's hand vanished as if by magic.

Unohana froze, then immediately realized that his blade was attacking from a blind spot.

How was that possible? This was clearly her swordsmanship! And she had only used it once before this boy. How could he replicate it perfectly?

The thought flashed through her mind. It was already too late to dodge. The next second, blood sprayed through the air. Unohana rapidly retreated, pressing her free left hand tightly over her neck as blood seeped continuously between her fingers. Her eyes were filled with fear and confusion.

Just who was this boy?

Was that his ability to learn?

How could that be possible?

How could anyone in this world possess such terrifying learning ability?

That was not replication.

It was a deeper form of learning, completely integrating it into his own swordsmanship.

Unohana's body trembled slightly. She was not afraid—she was incomparably excited.

If she nurtured this boy properly, then one day, his strength would surpass her own.

The thought made Unohana bloom with joy.

She slowly raised her blade. Her Zanpakuto changed shape, becoming a massive one-eyed monster fish.

"Descend, Minazuki!" Unohana released her Zanpakuto.

Looking at the one-eyed monster fish before him, Yamabuki Chidori suddenly remembered a nightmare he had had long ago. He had dreamed of being swallowed whole by a monster fish. Could this have been a prophetic dream?

Minazuki flew into the air and suddenly opened its huge mouth, spitting out a mouthful of slime. Unohana caught it with one hand and smeared it over her wounds. The injuries on her body began healing slowly. Though it could not compare to Kido or Super Regeneration, the healing speed was still remarkable!

Yamabuki Chidori had forgotten that Minazuki possessed healing abilities. But it could do far more than heal wounds!

The one-eyed monster fish roared as it charged at Yamabuki Chidori, like a mountain of flesh.

Yamabuki Chidori repeatedly Flash Stepped away.

However, after Minazuki circled through the air, it turned back into a blade and returned to Unohana's hand.

"My injuries are almost healed too. Let's continue!" Unohana said with an excited expression.

Girl, Have You Heard of the Sword Control Technique?

Just as Unohana was about to rush forward, Yamabuki Chidori suddenly raised a hand in a timeout gesture. "Wait a second. I have something to say!"

Unohana tilted her head slightly. At this point, what else did he have to say? Shouldn't he be rushing over and unleashing a barrage on her? Was he even a man?

Yamabuki Chidori gave a light cough. "If we keep fighting like this, we won't be able to determine a winner even by nightfall. And your swordsmanship has pretty much reached its limit too, right? Want to see something new? It's definitely more interesting than the two of us just hacking at each other with swords."

Without a word, Unohana stared at the boy before her. At this point, did he still have some hidden trump card he had not revealed?

Yamabuki Chidori paced around Unohana, then extended his left hand. A large amount of spirit particles gathered in his palm, eventually forming a long sword made of spirit particles.

Yamabuki Chidori gently tossed the spirit-particle sword into the sky, where it floated in midair.

"Back where I came from, there was always a legend. In certain distant places, there were hidden sword immortals who could kill people from a thousand miles away. They could fly on swords and do anything." Yamabuki Chidori created another spirit-particle sword and lightly threw it into the air.

Unohana did not understand what he meant, but she remained cautiously on guard. This boy was stronger than she had imagined.

And he had constantly improved during their battle. In just a few dozen minutes of fighting, his swordsmanship had already reached a level equal to hers.

Yamabuki Chidori created spirit-particle swords one after another, making five in total.

"When I was little, I also wanted to be a sword immortal, able to fly on a sword and take an enemy's head from a thousand miles away. I never expected that wish to come true after I died." Yamabuki Chidori raised the Zanpakuto in his hand and swung it sharply. The five spirit-particle swords in the sky shot out at once. The Zanpakuto in Yamabuki Chidori's hand was like a conductor's baton, directing the five spirit-particle swords to attack from five different directions.

Unohana's pupils constricted instantly. Her Zanpakuto moved like a wall, shielding every vital point across her body.

"Clang!!!"

One spirit-particle sword collided with Unohana's Zanpakuto. To her surprise, the seemingly threatening blade was incredibly fragile and was cut in half by her sword. But the next second, the broken spirit-particle sword regathered as if a shattered mirror had been restored, launching another fierce attack.

Unohana could not dodge in time, and her shoulder was sliced open. At the same time, the other four spirit-particle swords stabbed toward her vital points. Their speed and strength were no weaker than Yamabuki Chidori attacking at full force. Furthermore, after Unohana's "training," Yamabuki Chidori could clearly observe every flaw on her body. The flying swords shamelessly attacked those flaws with everything they had.

Unohana's swordsmanship was extraordinary, but she was effectively fighting five Yamabuki Chidoris at once. And her opponents completely ignored damage while targeting nothing but her weaknesses.

After one barrage of sword strikes, Unohana was soaked in blood, with more than a dozen wounds all over her body.

"As expected, the Sword Control Technique is a complete dimensionality reduction strike against ordinary swordsmanship. Hey, little girl, stop struggling and surrender already!" Yamabuki Chidori looked at Unohana, who was still struggling bitterly.

"You think this is enough to defeat me?" Unohana wiped the blood from her face. "In the end, these flying swords are merely controlled by your Reiatsu, aren't they? As long as I defeat you, they will stop?"

Unohana tapped the ground with her toes and Flash Stepped toward Yamabuki Chidori, but the five flying swords were equally swift, instantly blocking her path.

Unohana swung with both hands, shattering all five flying swords with a single slash. But then she saw Yamabuki Chidori grinning at her.

The shattered spirit particles instantly condensed into a ball of light the size of a fingernail. A terrifying aura of danger washed over her. Yamabuki Chidori had already teleported away, while it was too late for Unohana to dodge!

"Boom!!!!"

The ball of light exploded instantly, sending a blast wave dozens of meters high into the sky!

"Hope I didn't blow her to death!" Yamabuki Chidori looked down from above. This was a spirit-particle bomb he had created using his ability to control spirit particles. Even a captain-level figure would be severely injured if they took this attack without any preparation.

As the smoke and dust dispersed, Unohana was still standing where she had been. Her entire body was covered in blood, yet the woman was still smiling—a smile that made one's skin crawl.

"Surrender obediently now, and I'll come heal you. Otherwise, with the amount of blood you're losing, you'll bleed to death before long," Yamabuki Chidori said calmly.

Unohana coughed lightly, looking at the sword in her hand with a delighted smile. "You know, at first I was worried you were too weak and that I would kill you in one hit. Now I don't need to worry about that anymore. At last, I can fully release the Reiatsu I've been suppressing."

Yamabuki Chidori's expression slowly turned grave. They had fought to this point, yet she still had not used her full strength?

Unohana gently closed her eyes, then abruptly opened them. Reiatsu as sharp as a blade surged into the heavens, and a suffocating pressure crashed down upon him.

A Soul Reaper's battle was a battle of Reiatsu. The side with stronger Reiatsu held every advantage. That was absolute.

At last, Unohana no longer suppressed her Reiatsu. Blood-red Reiatsu surged skyward, sending chills down one's spine. Yamabuki Chidori's expression became extremely unpleasant.

Unohana's Reiatsu might not be equal to the Captain Commander's, but it was not far off. At the very least, they were on the same level. In any case, it was far stronger than his, a rookie who had only just entered captain level.

"Let's continue our slaughter from earlier!" Unohana's figure shifted slightly, and she appeared behind Yamabuki Chidori like a ghost. Yamabuki Chidori immediately teleported, but the instant he landed, he found Unohana already before him. Her blade swept horizontally. Yamabuki Chidori moved his left hand, and the five flying swords condensed once more. To his shock, Unohana at full power was actually faster than the flying swords. Besides, these were not truly the legendary flying swords, merely swords Yamabuki Chidori had condensed from spirit particles.

Unohana suddenly retreated, raised her Zanpakuto, and slashed through the air. The sharp sword pressure instantly cut through all five flying swords and plunged into the earth. The ground was sliced apart cleanly, like a giant cake.

"What the hell was that, sword pressure?"

Every Soul Reaper possessed sword pressure. Depending on one's strength, the power of that sword pressure varied. The weak could not even kill an ant with it, while the strong could destroy heaven and earth with sword pressure alone.