Chapter 15

The fierce battle between Araki and Unohana continues without end...

The slaughter between Araki and U no Hana continued without cease…

U no Hana Hassenryuu - Unohana's Eight Thousand Flow

If she could, Unohana's Eight Thousand Flow would wish her battle with Araki never ended, even if the heavens aged and the earth cracked, even if the three worlds shattered; she only wants to fight forever, "every blade draws blood, every strike hits flesh," for she was born for battle.

If possible, U no Hana Hakuryū would wish that her slaughter with Araki never ended, even if the heavens grew old and the earth cracked, even if the three realms shattered, U no Hana only wants to forever fight with "blade meets blood", "fist meets flesh", she is a person born for battle!

Yamamoto General Commander - General Commander Yamamoto

A happy smile spread across Unohana's face; she herself had long forgotten how long it had been since she last met an opponent as strong as Araki, someone nearly her equal in power...

U no Hana's face was filled with a happy smile; she herself had long forgotten how long it had been since she last met an opponent as strong as Araki, nearly evenly matched…

However, just as the sea of blood beneath Unohana's feet is not endless, when her spiritual pressure and stamina are nearly exhausted, the glazed light in the sky still shines.

However, just as the sea of blood beneath U no Hana's feet was not endless, when her internal spiritual pressure and stamina were nearly exhausted, the glazed light in the sky still shone!

General Commander

Your glazed light shining in the sky not only heals you, but also weakens my spiritual pressure and stamina; it even seems to weaken the healing ability of my own Zanpakutō.

「Your light that shines in the sky, besides its healing ability for yourself, also has the power to weaken my spiritual pressure and stamina; moreover, it seems even the healing ability of my Soul-Cutting Sword in my hand is also weakened by your Soul-Cutting Sword……」

Unohana's Eight Thousand Flow lowered her sword, she lifted her gaze to the glazed light in the sky that shone like an eternal sun, revealing a look of realization.

U no Hana Hakuryū stopped her sword-wielding hand, she lifted her head to gaze at the glazed light in the sky that seemed to replace the sun, shining eternally, and revealed a hint of realization.

When Unohana saw that Araki's glazed light, like her own sea of blood, could swiftly heal all of his injuries, she originally believed his Bankai was the same as hers.

When U no Hana saw that Araki's glazed light, like her sea of blood, could quickly heal all the damage he had suffered, she originally thought that Araki's Bankai and her Bankai ability were the same!

Their Zanpakutō must both possess high-speed healing abilities...

Their Soul-Cutting Swords should both possess high-speed healing abilities……

However, when Unohana noticed her spiritual pressure and stamina plummeting at an abnormal speed, she finally realized...

However, when U no Hana discovered that her internal spiritual pressure and stamina were plummeting at an abnormal speed, she finally came to a sudden realization……

It turned out that Araki's Zanpakutō does not only heal its wielder, but can also weaken an opponent's stamina and spiritual pressure!

It turned out that Araki's Soul-Cutting Sword was not only capable of healing its wielder, but could also weaken the enemy's stamina and spiritual pressure!

This weakening is extremely slow, like boiling a frog in warm water; the enemy cannot notice it in the short term, but once they do, it's already too late.

However, this weakening is extremely slow, like boiling a frog in warm water; the enemy cannot notice it in a short time, but once noticed, it is already too late.

Just as she is now, upon realizing the mystery of Araki's Zanpakutō ability, she no longer has the strength to fight him, and even the sword she holds now feels unbearably heavy to her.

Just as she is now, at the moment she discovers the subtlety of Araki's Soul-Cutting Sword's ability, she no longer has the strength to fight Araki; even now, the Soul-Cutting Sword she holds in her hand feels incredibly heavy to her……

Physical Strength - Stamina

Precisely speaking, my Glazed Light did not weaken your spiritual pressure and physical strength, but rather assimilated your spiritual pressure and took away your physical strength.

After hearing Maozhihua's words, Huangmu had no intention of hiding anything; he openly admitted his Soul-Cutting Sword ability and even specifically corrected Maozhihua's misunderstanding about his Soul-Cutting Sword ability.

Yes, don't misunderstand; his Soul-Cutting Sword is certainly not just a simple ability to weaken others' strength!

Instead, it directly plunders the enemy's spiritual pressure, physical strength, and ability in an all-around manner!

Because the only people present now are Huangmu, Maozhihua, and Yuanliuzhai, Huangmu simply explained his ability…

After all, one is Huangmu's future chief wife, one is Huangmu's master; strictly speaking, there are no outsiders here~

"Your Soul-Cutting Sword can assimilate my spiritual pressure? I see…"

Maozhihua instantly understood Huangmu's meaning after hearing his explanation.

Originally Maozhihua wondered how Huangmu could have fought her to this point, when even she herself was nearly exhausted, why Huangmu's spiritual pressure was obviously inferior to hers yet showed no sign of fatigue at all?!

Now she finally understood: while fighting her, Huangmu continuously siphoned her internal spiritual pressure and physical strength through his Glazed Light.

With this mutual increase and decrease, let alone an enemy evenly matched with Huangmu, they would not be his opponent!

Even existences stronger than Huangmu would find his ability extremely troublesome!

Precisely speaking, as long as Huangmu's enemies lack the means to defeat him instantly or within a short time, once dragged into his combat rhythm, the ultimate victor will only be Huangmu.

"Have I lost?"

Maozhihua murmured the Eight Thousand Styles, though she wanted to continue fighting, her slender wrists had long lost the strength to wield her blades.

The now powerless Maozhihua, exerting all her strength, stood upon the ruins; her hollow gaze seemed to see the lantern of her life, her experiences over the years flashing before her eyes like slideshow frames…

She ah! She has never been a good person~

Before meeting Captain-General Shānběn Zǒngduìzhǎng, she was like a killing machine, constantly challenging various swordsmanship schools of Soul Society, slaying countless heroes, a notorious villain renowned in Soul Society…

A villain like her ought to have died the day she met Captain-General Shānběn Zǒngduìzhǎng!

Perhaps it was Captain-General Shānběn Zǒngduìzhǎng's compassion, or perhaps her fate was not to die; that day she not only survived but also became the captain of the Guard Courts Thirteenth Division! Thus within Seireitei appeared one who shouted the slogan 'protection' while in reality being a murderous ghost who lived by killing.

However, all of this would end after she encountered Huangmu.

"I lost to the Origin Flow twice~"

Maozhihua smiled, she let go, thus she opened her arms to welcome her impending fate,

She frankly admitted her defeat, yet she still gripped her Soul-Cutting Sword; clearly she acknowledged losing to Huangmu, but not to his swordsmanship, rather to the superiority of his Soul-Cutting Sword, and thus her fighting spirit remained full, and thus she remained… unsatisfied!

However, a loss is a loss; she will not deny it, from today onward she will no longer be the captain of the Guard Courts Thirteenth Division, and the title 'Sword Eight' will also be inherited by Huangmu.

Those who bear the name Sword Eight will openly face their final fate!

"He who kills, will himself be killed!"

From the day Maozhihua first gripped her sword, she had already seen her fate; she just never expected this day to come so quickly… but sooner is better, after all, it's preferable to her feeling irritated with this boring world, endlessly failing to meet someone worthy of a battle!

"All right! Don't hesitate! Come at me with your sword!"

Maozhihua gazed at Huangmu and said thus.

"Pfft."

Huangmu gazed at Maozhihua who actively accepted her defeat, blade in hand approached her; Huangmu had no extra words, now everything said is superfluous…

Huangmu gazed at this stunning woman before him, expression indifferent, raised his Soul-Cutting Sword high, then directly thrust the blade through Maozhihua's chest! Blood spattered the ground at that moment!

"Just like that…"

"So farewell, Origin Flow's full transmission!"

Maozhihua finally met the fate she had always anticipated; however, before she could bid farewell to Huangmu, a surge of vigorous life force, from the Soul-Cutting Sword that Huangmu had stabbed into her body, nourished her exhausted frame.

"Huh?!"

Originally having resigned herself to defeat, awaiting death, Maozhihua, upon feeling the vigorous life force within her body, couldn't help but widen her eyes.

"Power, is it back again?" Maozhihua first startled, then asked Huangmu: "What do you mean?"

"Just lose one round and quit? Where in the world is there such a good thing?"

"The victor is king, the loser is bandit! The defeated must obey the victor's commands, but this is the ancient law of the Soul Society—so don't think you can just run away like that!"

Huangmu looked at Maozhihua's dazed expression, smiling.

"One era does not need two Sword Eights!"

Maozhihua understood Huangmu's meaning; she had experienced the loneliness he spoke of, yet she remained obstinate.

"Ha?"

"What does a loser have to say so much?"

"Huang Mu stared at the obstinate Mao Zhi Hua, and with his swordless hand, he forcefully poked Mao Zhi Hua's pure white forehead, leaving a bright red mark."

"Seeing Mao Zhi Hua's brows furrow tightly, Huang Mu pulled his Soul-Cutter Sword from Mao Zhi Hua's body, then continued: 'To be frank, as long as I am alive, whether you choose to end yourself or choose to die at another's hand, my sword can endlessly pull you back from 'Hell'!'"

"In other words, as long as I am alive you cannot die! If you wish to fulfill your path, to fulfill your goal, then you have only one choice! Defeat me, then kill me!"

"……"

"Huang Mu's words were like a sharp blade, directly piercing Mao Zhi Hua's heart, as if injecting a shot of adrenaline into Mao Zhi Hua's already dead heart!"

"Her body trembled incessantly at this moment; Mao Zhi Hua seemed to have long forgotten what it felt like to chase after the footsteps of those before her from behind, but now she remembered again."

"Ah~"

"Huang Mu, I realize I might have 'fallen in love' with you!"

"I, Mao Zhi Hua, swear here that 'you' will only die under 'my' blade alone!"

"Mao Zhi Hua's beautiful face gradually twisted at this moment; on her somewhat pale visage appeared a hint of a feral, sickly smile, and every cell of her body felt endless pleasure from Huang Mu's words!"

"In Mao Zhi Hua's view, in this utterly boring world, nothing is more 'flavorful' or 'wonderful' than pursuing one's love, then on a splendid, grand stage using a battle's outcome as life's closing act~"

"All exhausted!"

"With the restoration of Mao Zhi Hua's spiritual pressure, her surroundings once again overflowed with 'endless' blood water."

"This time, Mao Zhi Hua did not treat the surrounding blood water as a weapon to swing at Huang Mu; instead, she lightly touched the blade to the ground's blood pool, letting the blood flowing on the ground slowly climb up her sword……"

"In the blink of an eye, the blood water dyed Mao Zhi Hua's Eight Thousand Flow entire body red, as if a scarlet blood robe draped over her graceful figure!"

"For a moment, the wholly crimson Mao Zhi Hua, atop that morbid and twisted aura, gained a hint of bewitching air, resembling a red-clad vengeful ghost, resembling an absolute beautiful demon……"

"Mao Zhi Hua, I truly await the day you defeat me~"

"So press on! Grow stronger! Strive to defeat me! Mao Zhi Hua Eight Thousand Flow!!"

"Huang Mu gazed at Mao Zhi Hua, who resembled a demon vengeful ghost, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly."

"Continue Universal Illumination! Glazed Light……"

"In the midst of speech, Huang Mu's Soul-Cutter Sword suddenly burst forth with dazzling glazed light; a jade Guanyin emanating endless pressure condensed behind Huang Mu, then draped over his body like an outer garment."

"At this moment, Guanyin subdues the demon!"

"Before meeting you, I held the sword for myself alone."

"After meeting you, I hold the sword only for you!"

"Mao Zhi Hua gazed at the gorgeous, beautiful glazed light before her, and her absolutely beautiful face showed a hint of intoxication."

"Murderous ghosts cannot comprehend what emotion 'love' truly is, yet murderous ghosts possess their own kind of romance~"

"When the light faded, Huang Mu instantly appeared beside Mao Zhi Hua and caught the smiling, face-down former 'Sword Eight' Mao Zhi Hua as she collapsed."

"Huh, getting married and all that is really too slow……"

"Or rather, a forced 'marriage' is quicker!"

"Cough cough……"

"Ah. This chapter is really hard to write! I realized I simply cannot write the bartender's five-lifetime confession beneath such lofty things; I can only write two murderous ghosts holding swords for each other, accompanying each other for a thousand years of redemption. I hope you all like it! If anything seems off, I also hope you'll be more tolerant; I really did my best! Also, the pacing is indeed a bit slow, I'll speed up later. There's one more chapter, possibly updated late."

"(End of chapter)"