"Not bad!"
"Really not bad!"
Unohana Yachiru stared at the young man before her. Her usually cold, dark eyes finally lit up, as if speaking to a living soul, meeting Fujimiya Makoto's gaze.
Still holding her finger-length dagger, she spoke with a hint of admiration:
"You're the second person I've known to improve this fast in swordsmanship."
"Want to survive?"
"Pfft!"
Fujimiya spat on the ground, a defiant gesture.
Was this her cruel cat-and-mouse game or genuine praise? He couldn't tell.
But in Zaraki, after killing so many, he'd never seen anyone let an opponent walk away so easily.
And if they did, it was usually followed by a knife in the back.
In Zaraki, everyone born after death was a hardened criminal, one step from Hell.
That's how brutal Zaraki was.
So… raising his sword was his answer.
Survive? Hell, more than that!
Even against an unbeatable foe, in a hopeless situation, he'd fight to his last drop of blood. He had to live!
And live better than anyone.
With his knowledge of the plot and his cheat code, if he died in the tutorial in a dump like Zaraki, that'd be too pathetic!
"Good."
Unohana watched his determined eyes, her smile widening, almost hypnotic. She tossed her dagger aside and slowly drew the asauichi at her waist.
Her voice, soft and alluring, carried a spring-like warmth.
"Use every trick you've got."
"Touch me, even just the hem of my clothes, and you win."
"Entertain me."
The second her words landed, a chilling terror gripped Fujimiya.
In an instant, a tidal wave of horrifying reiatsu burst from her, a pressure stronger than a tornado. Everything in sight seemed crushed by invisible gravity, forcing the weak to kneel. Her spiritual essence flooded every inch of space he could sense.
Then, she vanished from his view.
Fujimiya's eyes blanked for a moment before a silver flash tore through the scene.
Ziiiiing—Clang!
Sparks flew, metal clashing in a sharp, piercing symphony. Fujimiya, drawing on every ounce of strength, barely blocked her casual swing with his asauichi. But her blade pressed down, forcing his sword's back against his shoulder. The blades scraped, throwing sparks and a shrill screech.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
The strikes rang like a hammer on an anvil, relentless.
But against the young man holding his ground, Unohana showed no hesitation. Each swing was sharper, more brutal, a pressure that could shatter every spiritual particle in Fujimiya's body. Even blocking was becoming nearly impossible.
She was ramping up the force!
He'd tried to overestimate this woman, likely a Zaraki veteran, but now he saw he'd still underestimated her.
Even without her shikai, based on the original story, she had to be high-officer level, right?
The only upside: the stronger the pressure, the faster he improved.
[Hit hard, big sister! Don't go easy just 'cause I'm a fragile little flower!]
[Swordsmanship +10]
[Trash! Trash big sister! Can't you push harder? Squeeze out every last bit of my flesh!]
[Swordsmanship +10]
[Faster! Trash big sister, hit harder! My body can still take it, damn it!]
[Swordsmanship +10]
Under this barrage of blows, his growth skyrocketed at an almost supernatural speed.
[Swordsmanship: Sixth Rank ↑]
[Stagnation Period – Second Stage]
[Deathmatch in progress, stagnation breakthrough ↑]
[Swordsmanship: Seventh Rank ↑]
His talent ceiling wasn't reached yet.
But the more he swung under this extreme pressure, the more he felt the vast, oceanic gap between them.
The more he fought, the more terrified he became!
The system panel showed insane progress, but even that wasn't enough to see the end.
She was a bottomless pit, insatiable.
No matter how much sweat and energy he poured in, he'd never fill her, let alone overflow.
Worse, she seemed to adjust her reiatsu, speed, reactions, and strength to stay exactly at his level.
What terrifying control.
Cat and mouse!
She was just playing!
In the Soul Society, a monster like her was stuck in Zaraki?!
In a moment of distraction, his eyes caught her haori fluttering open, revealing a generous, swaying chest beneath the pale silk.
What the…
His gaze followed instinctively.
"Impure thoughts!"
Unohana's cold voice cut through his jumbled thoughts.
Still thinking about that in a fight to the death?
Feeling cocky, huh?
The next moment, her blade sped up again.
Slash!
In a blink of distraction, Unohana's asauichi pierced his defense, slicing his clothes and carving a long gash across his chest.
Blood sprayed, flowing freely.
Instinctively, Fujimiya rolled across the ground, using his body to hide a move. His free hand grabbed something in the sand.
That dodge saved him from being cut in half.
Unohana stood still, raising her blade. Her tongue grazed the edge, tasting the young man's fresh blood. A sickly, satisfied smile lit her pale face:
"Dodged again."
"You're even more impressive than I thought."
"You improve with every swing."
"But those who fight just to survive always die in battle."
"Only those who throw themselves fully into combat, savoring the endless thrill between life and death, survive to the end, alone."
A serene smile on her delicate face, Unohana opened her arms toward Fujimiya, commanding:
"Strike!"
Fujimiya, gripping his sword with both hands, face taut, charged.
A cloud of sand exploded under his feet. With a shunpo at his absolute limit, he rushed her.
His blade traced a dazzling arc through the air.
Unohana, smiling with satisfaction, struck in sync with her asauichi.
Slash!
Their blades crossed mid-air.
Fujimiya froze.
The sharp blade pierced his youthful chest, spilling torrents of blood.
His asauichi, to the end, hadn't touched even a thread of her clothes.
"Still a bit short, huh?"
Unohana eyed Fujimiya's blade, slowly dropping by her side, and sighed with a hint of disappointment. Her alluring eyes lowered.
With her mature beauty and voluptuous curves, she looked like she could devour anything. Yet her expression was that of a child who'd broken a fun toy.
But it wasn't the first time.
The weak are always so fragile.
As she sighed, ready to shake the "trash" off her blade, Fujimiya suddenly grabbed her wrist, staining her clothes with blood.
Unohana furrowed her brow slightly.
She didn't like clingy behavior after the game was over.
Then, in a weak voice, Fujimiya rasped:
"Hey!"
Clutching her wrist, he slowly raised his head. His bloodied face bore a fierce grin, his eyes burning with defiance.
"Too bad… I kinda liked the teardrop shape."
Unohana, confused or caught off guard, froze for a split second.
A kid risking his life over a lustful thought? That was a first.
But that brief lapse was enough.
Fujimiya's right hand gripped her wrist, ignoring the searing pain. He pushed the blade deeper into his body, leaning forward. His free left hand shot out, as if ready to die just to grab a piece of this woman.
At the same moment, a familiar dagger appeared in his palm.
Unohana's pupils contracted.
That was… the dagger he'd grabbed when he rolled!
Rip!
The finger-length dagger tore through her clothing, striking hard.
But the seemingly desperate blow stopped short.
Fujimiya looked down.
The dagger's tip had only grazed her lush, teardrop-shaped skin, leaving a mark so faint no blood even beaded.
No further progress.
"…"
This chick was tough as hell.
Out of reiatsu, Fujimiya's body wavered, exhausted.
Blood poured from his mouth, his eyes wide with rage.
Staring at Unohana's delicate face, he growled, a strained smile on his lips:
"…Impure thoughts!"
His last breath escaped, and his strength gave out. His consciousness faded fast.
His head drooped.
He passed out.
Unohana stood alone, staring at the boy slumped in her arms, still clutching the dagger.
Lost in thought.
Recalling the moment, her lips curved, an unstoppable smile spreading. A chuckle turned into a rare, heartfelt laugh, her body shaking with amusement.
Like she'd stumbled on something hilarious.
Ignoring the blood, Unohana tightly embraced the boy, pulling him close like a mother. Gently stroking his blood-stained hair, she pressed her pale cheek to his forehead, whispering excitedly:
"Exactly! Progress isn't enough… this is how you fight!"
"No rules, no limits!"
"You're one hell of a surprise gift."
…
[Event: Bond level with Unohana Yachiru increased ↑]
[Rewards: Spiritual Pressure +1, Talent Point +1]
[Bond Trait Gained: Sword Genius]
[Spiritual Pressure: Seventh Rank Upper → Sixth Rank Lower]
[Bond Trait – Sword Genius: Swordsmanship max level raised to 'Twelfth Rank' (ignores stagnation), increased swordsmanship point gain rate, chance to develop personal sword style and school.]