In Soul Society, All I Want Is to Coast into Retirement

No choice. I had to use my ultimate move.

"Bakudō #21, Sekienton!"

After throwing out a smoke bomb, Yamabuki Chidori swiftly retreated to a temporarily safe spot and pressed both hands against the ground.

"Hadō #99, Goryū Tenmetsu!"

Bankai, Kajōtenketsu

The ground of the Seireitei trembled slightly. After a brief delay, the earth split apart, and five silver-gray dragons soared into the sky. Their Reiatsu instantly shook every Soul Reaper in the Seireitei.

The Soul Reapers watching from afar were all stunned by the five dragons. Those antiquated noblemen were even more terrified, their mouths hanging open.

"So this is the Chief Strategist of the Gotei 13?" A Gotei 13 member gazed toward Central 46 with worshipful eyes.

In everyone's mind, a strategist was merely an ordinary civil servant, and Yamabuki Chidori had never displayed his strength before the troops.

To most members, Yamabuki Chidori was just a Soul Reaper responsible for logistics with a little skill, vastly inferior to the captains.

After all, sending a strategist onto the battlefield to kill enemies was absurd.

Imagine Zhuge Liang beating Lü Bu one-handed and fighting the Three Heroes with both hands. What kind of insane scene would that be?

The five silver-gray dragons circled in midair before finally diving down. In an instant, the entire Seireitei seemed to suffer a magnitude-ten earthquake. Everything within ten miles was flattened, every building reduced to rubble!

The sages who had escaped from Central 46 turned pale at the sight. Earlier, they had been thinking of how to bypass Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and deal with Yamabuki Chidori!

Now it seemed there was nothing to deal with! Even all of Central 46 put together would not be enough for him to beat with one hand.

The turbulent Reiatsu gradually dispersed. Yamabuki Chidori stood amid the ruins, panting heavily. Casting Hadō #99 directly was still somewhat difficult for him—specifically, casting it instantly without an incantation—and it consumed enormous amounts of Reiatsu. He was rapidly devouring the Reishi around him to replenish himself. Hopefully, that attack had taken care of Unohana. Please, don't come jumping out again.

"BOOM!!!"

A figure leaped out of the ruins at high speed. It was Unohana. She had indeed been injured by taking Hadō #99 head-on, but the wounds were not severe.

"So this is Soul Reaper sorcery? It is somewhat interesting. But it is still far from enough to defeat me." Unohana steadied her breathing, the killing intent in her eyes surging.

She was far too satisfied with this opponent. Since her birth, she had never encountered anyone who could make her feel this good.

She had to kill him with a grateful heart. Only then would this trip have been worthwhile.

Give it everything. Killing an enemy with all one's strength—that was respect.

Unohana reached out and covered her blade with her hand, speaking in a low, sinister voice. "Bankai! Kajōtenketsu!"

Blood-red Reiatsu erupted, and Unohana's Reiatsu explosively increased. Everyone knew that a Bankai was five to ten times stronger than a Shikai. Soul Reapers with Bankai and those without were simply not on the same level.

Yamabuki Chidori's face twisted like a bitter melon. I swear to heaven, if I ever raise a death flag before a fight again, let lightning strike me dead.

Unohana's Reiatsu was now completely different from before. At this moment, she seemed even stranger—even evil.

The Zanpakuto in her hand had turned into a curved blade that continuously dripped blood. Not only that, the surrounding environment was constantly seeping blood as well.

Yamabuki Chidori felt as though he had fallen into hell.

"Flying swords!" With a wave of his hand, five flying swords shot out at incredible speed. Yet all Unohana did was swing the bloody blade in her hand. The moment the flying swords touched blood, it was as though they had met their natural bane and immediately collapsed.

Unohana approached Yamabuki Chidori step by step. The former madness was gone, as was her previous abandon. All that remained was boundless strangeness and dread!

Unohana gently raised Kajōtenketsu. The blood seemed to sense her movement and began to pulse. She lightly swung her blade, and a sea of blood rushed toward him.

Every hair on Yamabuki Chidori's body stood on end. He immediately used Spatial Movement to relocate himself, but even so, one of his fingers accidentally touched a drop of blood.

The next second, Yamabuki Chidori's finger turned directly into white bone. He did not even feel any pain!

Yamabuki Chidori's face filled with terror. What was going on? He immediately cut off his own finger and retreated continuously. Although the severed finger regenerated at super speed, the fear in his heart could not be avoided.

If one had to name the most mysterious Bankai in the Gotei 13, it would definitely be Unohana's. Everyone had clearly seen her use Bankai, yet whether in the story or outside it, no one knew what her true Bankai ability was.

"Is it... corrosion? Does this blood have corrosive properties? The moment my body touches it, it corrodes my flesh?" Yamabuki Chidori made a judgment based on what had happened earlier. But if it possessed corrosive properties like sulfuric acid, he should have felt pain.

Yet just now, he had not felt even a trace of pain before the flesh on his finger had already broken down.

Unohana gave him no opportunity to think. She raised her sword and slashed at him. Yamabuki Chidori was analyzing her ability. When masters fought, life and death were decided in an instant. Seeing that he could not dodge, he could only raise his blade to block. In an instant, however, Kajōtenketsu sprayed a huge amount of blood onto Yamabuki Chidori's body, and his flesh visibly collapsed and rotted at a speed the naked eye could see.

"Could it be... excessive healing?" Yamabuki Chidori retreated swiftly, cutting flesh from his own body as he ran and carving away every area that had touched blood. The pain nearly drove him mad.

Excessive healing could also cause a person's cells to collapse. He had studied medicine and understood that principle. Tenjirō Kirinji's Blood Pool Hell operated on the same principle.

"No, that's not it. I understand the sensation of cells being healed better than anyone. If Kajōtenketsu's ability were truly excessive healing, I would definitely be able to feel it. I'm a Kido expert! But when I was touched by the blood, there was no sensation of healing at all." Yamabuki Chidori knew that analyzing his opponent's ability at a time like this would expose an opening, but if he did not analyze it, he had no way to defeat her.

Unohana's figure appeared before Yamabuki Chidori like a ghost and struck again. Her blade pierced his shoulder. Yamabuki Chidori could clearly feel his flesh decaying and festering at incredible speed before vanishing entirely.

Yamabuki Chidori gritted his teeth and directly cut off half his shoulder. Blood sprayed like a fountain. Fortunately, he had awakened a Hollow's super-speed regeneration. Otherwise, he would have bled to death from an injury like this. Kido healing had its limits.

"I... I think I know what your ability is!" Yamabuki Chidori said with difficulty. At the same time, his shoulder regenerated at incredible speed.

Unohana knew he was stalling for time, but she did not expose him.

"Acceleration! It accelerates the decay of flesh, right?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.

"You are half right. More precisely, it accelerates causality. A person's birth is the cause; their death and return to dust is the effect. My blade has done nothing at all. It merely speeds up that process." Unohana said calmly, "Your shoulder is almost healed. Let's continue."

"You still want more?" Yamabuki Chidori said bitterly. "No choice. At this point, I can only show my real strength!"

"Perfect Sanctification, release!"

Kajōtenketsu vs. Perfect Sanctification

Unohana's Reiatsu far surpassed his own. To contend against Bankai Kajōtenketsu, Yamabuki Chidori could only think of this one method.

Fortunately, no one remained within fifteen miles. No one could see this form of his!

The surrounding Reishi began to tremble. A pentagram-shaped halo appeared above Yamabuki Chidori's head, while a pair of pale-blue wings of light emerged from his back. His form resembled a legendary angel, and his Reiatsu reached a startling height, not inferior even to Unohana after Bankai.

"This is your strongest form, isn't it?" Unohana asked.

"That's right. This is my strongest form! If you can defeat me in this form, then I have no ability left to stop you from destroying the Seireitei." Yamabuki Chidori said calmly as he released his Zanpakuto as well. "Reverse, Silver Radiant Angel."

Perfect Sanctification could greatly increase Reiatsu while also strengthening one's existing abilities.

For example, Yamabuki Chidori's Space Ability was what had been strengthened.

Once he activated Perfect Sanctification, his command over space would rise to another level!

"Watch out!" Yamabuki Chidori beat the wings behind his back, and his body vanished from where he stood. This was no longer speed that Flash Step or Hirenkyaku could achieve. In an instant, Yamabuki Chidori's blade was already pressed against Unohana's neck, and without the slightest mercy, he thrust fiercely!

Unohana dodged swiftly, but she did not evade completely. A shocking scar was left on her neck!

The more pain she felt, the happier Unohana became. She lightly swung Kajōtenketsu, and the blood condensed into a sharp blade that instantly sliced off one of Yamabuki Chidori's wings. However, the wing itself was formed from Reishi. Even if damaged, it could quickly repair itself and would not inflict much harm upon Yamabuki Chidori.

"Holy Spirit Arrow!"

A massive Reishi arrow fell from the sky. Unohana casually slashed it apart with a backhanded swing, then kicked Yamabuki Chidori in the stomach. He felt an entire row of ribs snap at once, the shattered bones piercing his internal organs and causing massive internal bleeding!

"How gentle was Unohana when she fought Kenpachi before he awakened his power? That kick could kill someone! If she were wearing White Stockings... cough, cough, I can't think like that during a fight! Super-speed regeneration!" Yamabuki Chidori retreated while using his Hollow ability to heal his injuries.

Yamabuki Chidori also realized that Unohana's Bankai did not destroy objects or human bodies, but causality.

Therefore, ordinary Reishi attacks were ineffective against her!

Unohana grew increasingly excited, her sword strikes growing more and more violent!

Every strike carried killing intent like mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

"Space Erasure!"

Yamabuki Chidori directly activated Silver Radiant Angel's ability. Everything within a radius of over a hundred meters was destroyed along with the vanished space. Unohana sensed the danger in advance and retreated with Flash Step.

"So this is your Zanpakuto's true ability! Manipulating space! A troublesome ability!" Unohana said calmly.

Yamabuki Chidori noticed that even Unohana's own body had begun to decay from the power of her Bankai. The greater the area of decay, the more her Reiatsu increased!

"Space Severance!"

Wherever his blade passed, all things were silently cut apart, and the attack's range reached a shocking three hundred meters!

After entering Perfect Sanctification, Yamabuki Chidori's attack power and range had increased by more than ten times compared to when he was in Hueco Mundo!

Unohana once again dodged the Space Severance attack in advance. By then, only a skeleton remained of her entire body, while her Reiatsu had reached its peak!

The Reishi wings behind Yamabuki Chidori began frantically devouring the surrounding Reishi to raise his Reiatsu.

Although Unohana said nothing, he understood her meaning. She wanted to decide victory and defeat in one move.

He had used almost all his trump cards as well!

Even if he lost, the old man would have his back.

"Hollowfication!" Yamabuki Chidori lightly brushed his left hand across his face, and a Hollow mask appeared. At the same time, he poured all his Reiatsu into his blade.

This was the ultimate attack that fused the powers of a Soul Reaper, Quincy, and Hollow.

An enormous amount of Reiatsu condensed, forming a Cero upon Yamabuki Chidori's blade!

Unohana also gathered all the blood seeping from the surroundings onto her own blade!

Victory or defeat would be decided by this strike!

Both of them charged at each other at their fastest speed!

Two world-destroying powers collided!

White and red Reiatsu twisted and entwined, instantly piercing through heaven and earth!

Fifteen miles away!

Those with slightly weaker Reiatsu were directly knocked unconscious by the terrifying pressure. Only captain-class powerhouses could remain calm.

Then the storm of Reiatsu swept through everything, reducing all places reached by its shockwaves to ruins!

Fortunately, everyone within fifteen miles had already evacuated. Otherwise, those nobles would have had no chance of surviving such terrifying power.

After a long while, the rampaging Reiatsu calmed.

Yamabuki Chidori and Unohana's bodies were pressed tightly together, their posture resembling an embrace.

At this point, Bankai had been released, and Unohana had returned to her flesh-and-blood body.

Yamabuki Chidori's blade had pierced Unohana's abdomen, its tip protruding from her back.

Unohana's blade had also stabbed into Yamabuki Chidori's stomach.

The two remained locked in that position.

"What a perfect battle!" Unohana's tone returned to its usual gentleness and calm. With difficulty, she pulled out her sword and casually tossed it to the ground.

Blood began spraying from Yamabuki Chidori's abdomen, but his expression remained unchanged. He pulled out his own blade as well. Unohana revealed a satisfied smile, gently closed her eyes, and fell backward. Yamabuki Chidori reached out and caught her, not letting her hit the ground.

"What a dangerous battle!" Yamabuki Chidori looked at the wound on his stomach. His Reiatsu was exhausted, forcing him out of Perfect Sanctification.

Although there was a hole in his stomach, the injury was actually not serious. Under the effect of super-speed regeneration, the wound healed in less than ten seconds.

Moreover, the final exchange should have resulted in mutual destruction. Neither of them had gained an advantage.

Just as Unohana's sword was about to pierce Yamabuki Chidori's body, he awakened the abilities of Hard Skin and Blut Vene.

Under that double defense, Yamabuki Chidori's injuries were not fatal. Otherwise, if Unohana pierced him with her blade and then activated her Bankai's ability, his organs would have completely decayed. Not even super-speed regeneration could save him.

At the final moment, Yamabuki Chidori's sword could have pierced Unohana's heart, but he shifted it two inches, choosing to pierce her abdomen instead. That was why both of them survived!

Unohana lay on the ground, feeling her life force slowly drain away. Suddenly, a pair of hands touched her body, and a warm current flowed into her wound. The pain gradually faded, and the bleeding stopped. She slowly opened her eyes to find Yamabuki Chidori treating her injuries.

Spoils of War, Sister Unohana

"Aren't you going to give me the final blow?" Unohana asked.

"Why would I give you the final blow? You're my spoils of war! I got nothing from fighting you. If I lose even my spoils of war, I'll be taking a huge loss! And after this, the old man will definitely give me an earful when he gets back! Sigh! You wasteful woman!" Yamabuki Chidori looked utterly miserable.

Yamamoto had left him behind to guard the place, yet now he had nearly torn the entire place apart himself!

Looking up, there was not a single intact building within fifteen miles. He had no idea how much repairs would cost!

Yamabuki Chidori slung Unohana over his shoulder and walked out of the battlefield step by step.

When the comrades waiting outside saw their Chief Strategist carrying out the enemy, cheers instantly erupted.

The old men of Central 46 turned pale with terror upon seeing Unohana. Compared to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's invincible strength, this woman's lawless nature frightened them even more.

"Yamabuki Chidori, what are you doing? Kill this woman immediately! This is an order from Central 46! Hurry!" a sage roared hysterically.

Hearing someone speak, the others also began to chime in.