*CLAANG!*
*CLAANG!*
'How is this woman so overbearingly strong?!'.
With each collision of their swords, Ryoma understood two insights: First, he had met his match. Second, the first insight was wrong... she was more than a match, she was superior from every angle!
He couldn't understand it. The 'Kenpachi' who was supposed to be the strongest, felt like an amateur swordsman at best compared to her. Unohana Retsu's swordsmanship resembled someone who could predict the future.
He swung from the right, she'd expect that. From the left feint and bottom, she'd expect that too and capitalize on it as no one would... she'd deal one or many vicious strikes each time (as many as he allowed her) to the point he had struck five times and hit her none... while she had countered a total of twelve strikes that had deformed into a bloody cascade out of his body.
All in less than twenty exchanges taking less than three seconds.
"Ugh!" Ryoma fell on his knees, not only she had managed to bypass his parrying and hit each time, but she had also struck key spots and ligaments that prevented his movement.
All he could do was look up and stare at her as if she was death itself.
'Forget about Reiatsu, her swordsmanship is just superior!'.
Ryoma groaned and recovered, using the last of his resources, deception. When she was close enough he flash-stepped to slice her throat.
"I already know how long it would take for you to heal those wounds, Ryōma-kun".
*WHOOSH!*
Unohana Retsu flashed, landed seamlessly on a shocked Ryoma's shoulders and sliced her sword once more nonchalantly. With a single strike litres upon litres of blood would pour in a world of darkness that had been tainted crimson.
The battle continued until Ryōma collapsed, a fight in which he managed to land only two strikes successfully. A green aura manifested in her hands and she healed them up, then took a seat next to his shrieking body, waiting casually.
"F-Fuck..." He groaned, more than pain, he felt annoyed by her craftiness, "You remind me of my dad..."
"Your dad? Interesting..." She mumbled with a giggle, unsolving a bit of the mystery.
"... dammit".
A few moments transcurred in silence in which Unohana even closed her eyes, Ryoma couldn't help but be awed by her confidence.
For a swordsman, adaptability was everything, 'She has the advantage over me... I haven't seen her fight once, but she has learned a lot from me from my fight with Ichimaru and Kenpachi'.
Nevertheless, true talent was the capacity to capitalize on this knowledge. It didn't matter how many times she witnessed his fights if she learned nothing from it. In her case, it was like Unohana had been watching him fight since he was a kid.
"I know what you are thinking. I am just a bit old, Ryōma..." To his shock, the woman yawned a bit.
"I have fought and defeated thousands like you; young geniuses with immense talent. What makes you different is all the oddities surrounding you. But I won't judge you" She looked at him with a smile, it would be cute if not for the blood on her cheeks.
"Oddities and mysteries abound in the Soul Society, it may look like we are a standardized society with rules and normalcy, but the truth is that there are a plethora of exceptions to our normalcy. Like you, or like me".
Rather annoyed that the wounds she inflicted were taking him TOO LONG to heal, she helped him heal up as she continued her discourse. The outrage in Ryoma's heart was unmatched, but at the same time, the eyes he looked at Unohana with gained a new light.
'I wasn't wrong back then... something wasn't right with her'.
"During times of peril in soul society, when hollows were able to more easily invade the Seireitei; these facilities were used to heal Shinigami who went to war... many souls perished here. From the start, it has seen nothing but blood. Times have changed and it no longer had any use until now".
When he was all ready for the next round, she extended her sword towards him, "Now you and I can have fun here without being interrupted~"
Unohana dusted herself off as Ryōma staggered up and gained a stance, "I put a concealing barrier... no one will ever hear your or my screams, but I can't stay here for too long. A captain has responsibilities".
Ryōma groaned in annoyance, then looked past her, towards the door. Unohana seemingly felt his gaze and grinned, she walked slowly until she was once again in his field of vision, blocking the door.
"Earn your freedom, Ryōma-kun~".
With no option but to take her seriously, Ryōma unsheathed sword.
*WHOOSH!!*
!!!
Torrents of blood poured as his torso was once again sliced open, he felt himself be subjected to gravity as the pain struck his mind yet again. He collapsed helplessly on the ground, while Unohana, behind him, put her sword back in its scabbard and sighed.
"I am under the impression that you have fought opponents who readily allowed you time to activate your triumph card. I am sorry to say, but... I am not like Zaraki Kenpachi. I am not a big fan of pain, Ryōma... why would I allow you your Shikai?".
"Fuck... you're merciless aren't you?" He struggled with the mind-numbing pain as the desire to step on her did nothing but increase.
Unohana Retsu was no compassionate 'all-mother', she was a she-devil.
The devil knelt and caressed his face, she used her powers to help him once more, eagerly watching both pieces of his body join one another in a gruesome sight that never stopped impressing her, she even blushed.
"Isn't this what we both want? I want a release... you want to fight someone strong... aren't we fulfilling each other's desires?".
"..." Ryoma felt the urge to growl, 'Who the fuck said I want this!?'.
As if she could hear her thoughts, the woman laughed lightly, "I am not a cruel woman. You will naturally be allowed freedom... you will be allowed to go and come as you wish so long as you come back to me. But not now".
He healed up and Unohana gained once more her previous position, pointing her sword at him for another chance.
"Wouldn't this be the perfect incentive for you to get stronger? To attain one's freedom has always been men's number one priority, second to women that is~" She giggled once more, a giggle that peeved him.
"Now, I must continue to cut you down until Minazuki is sated".
"Minazuki... or you?".
"Who knows?~"