Tsunayoshi pointed his blade at Unohana Retsu, his fighting spirit blazing as he spoke those mad words for the first time—
"Come… let's kill each other!"
As his voice fell, white fluid surged across his body. With the aid of a Hollow's High-Speed Regeneration, all his injuries were instantly restored.
This was the advantage of Hollowfication.
Though it couldn't match the monstrous recovery of Minazuki, it was more than enough to restore him to full fighting condition.
Unohana burst into laughter.
It had been far too long since anyone dared speak to her like that.
For the first time, her joy came from the heart.
No matter Tsunayoshi's strength—she had already decided to spare his life.
The blood pool churned.
Unohana appeared before Tsunayoshi once more—but immediately sensed something wrong.
It felt as though she had sunk into a swamp.
Her movements became sluggish. Even her blade no longer flowed smoothly.
She instantly activated Minazuki's ability, rapidly cycling the blood beneath her feet—
But the stagnation didn't fully disappear.
Tsunayoshi didn't give her time to think.
This time—
He attacked first.
Special Form — Ice Rain!
At point-blank range, freezing droplets rained down. Unohana had no room to evade—
Yet a wall of blood rose before her, blocking every strike.
Her crimson blade broke through the wall as she counterattacked. Minazuki surged forward in an impenetrable storm—
But this time—
Tsunayoshi found space within it.
Defensive Form — Fourth Kata: Five Winds, Ten Rains!
Unohana's eyes filled with confusion.
Previously, Tsunayoshi couldn't even withstand her attacks—
Now he could actively evade them?
Had her speed really dropped that much?
What she didn't realize—
Was that a transparent sphere of Rain flames surrounded Tsunayoshi.
The moment she entered it, it felt like being submerged in water—her movements restricted from the outside.
Even her blood replacement was affected.
The blood beneath her feet was also suppressed by the sphere, drastically slowing her recovery cycle.
This was the power granted by his Resurrección—
Hollow Technique — Absolute Defense.
Against anyone else, this alone would be fatal.
They would be trapped like prey in the deep sea—slowly drowned within the field.
Once Tsunayoshi adapted to her rhythm using Five Winds, Ten Rains, he began to counterattack.
Blades clashed again.
Both sides inflicted wounds—
And both recovered.
Gradually, Unohana discovered the truth.
The blood pool beneath her feet began to churn. Centered on the two of them, it formed a massive vortex.
She quickly replaced the blood beneath her feet with fresh blood from outside.
As the exchange completed—
A flower-like structure rose from the pool.
A crimson bloom—like a rose.
And at its center stood both of them.
Yachiru Style — Blood Rose.
To Unohana, the blood pool was harmless—even restorative.
But to Tsunayoshi—
It was death.
This rose was composed of countless corrosive blades.
The moment it closed—
He would be crushed.
The Blood Rose began to contract.
Tsunayoshi couldn't stop it.
It exceeded the limits of Absolute Defense.
But that didn't mean he would surrender.
The moment Unohana merged into the blood—
He moved.
His twin blades reversed in his grip as he spun in place.
Hollow Technique — Fish-Dragon Dance!
A horrific grinding sound echoed.
Inside the Blood Rose, it was like two massive grinders colliding—until one gave way.
Every fin that had grown from his Hollow form was a blade.
Spinning, Tsunayoshi became a living shredder—
Enduring thousands of slicing arcs while standing firm.
At last—
The sound ceased.
The Blood Rose withered.
With a flash of steel, Tsunayoshi reappeared—untouched by the blood.
A hint of admiration appeared on Unohana's face.
The last person who had pushed her this far…
Was a reckless child—
One who had left an unhealable scar on her chest.
She once thought she would never meet such an opponent again.
She had been prepared to devote her entire life to that one battle.
But now—
Tsunayoshi stood before her.
Perhaps…
There was more to life than devotion alone.
She smiled.
A beautiful, genuine smile.
For the joy he had brought her—
She would respond with her full power.
That was her highest respect.
Tsunayoshi frowned slightly.
He couldn't understand what that woman was smiling about.
Her advantage wasn't overwhelming—
So why did she look like she'd already won?
Let's see how you handle this.
Rain flames surged across his body, granting him the sensation of swimming freely through Reishi itself.
Hollow Technique — Leaping Abyss!
In his Hollow state, the world felt like an ocean.
Each particle of Reishi—like water.
When this movement fused with Sonído, the result was—
Leaping Abyss.
Even in high-speed movement—
One must surge forward like a fish leaping through the deep.
With a flick of his tail—
He vanished.
And appeared behind Unohana.
Crossing his blades—
He carved a piercing, intersecting wound across her body.
Her laughter stopped.
She turned slowly—
And as the blood pool washed over her, the wound healed once more.
They clashed again.
This was the problem with an opponent like Unohana—
Even exposed bone meant nothing.
She would simply recover.
The two figures flickered through the underground chamber.
Unohana merged into the blood—
Tsunayoshi swam through space.
For a time—
They were evenly matched.
Unohana looked utterly satisfied.
Tsunayoshi, on the other hand, showed no joy.
He wasn't a battle maniac.
A meaningless stalemate wasn't what he wanted.
He seized an opening.
Instead of following her movement, he retreated in the opposite direction—
Creating distance.
Both blades swung—
Special Form — Left Blade: Pursuit Hunt!
Special Form — Right Blade: Flying Swallow!
Jirō and Kojirō surged forward, restricting Unohana's movement.
At the same time—
Tsunayoshi began preparing his next attack.
Drops of Rain flames gathered behind him—
Taking shape.
Fish.
Each one a blade.
Countless fish formed—until a vast school filled the space behind him.
"Interesting… come!"
Unohana spread her arms, welcoming the attack.
Tsunayoshi didn't hesitate.
Cleaving open the blood pool, he charged forward—
The school accelerating with him, like a surging current.
Hollow Technique — Myriad Flow: Fish-Dragon Break!
The swarm engulfed Unohana.
Thousands of wounds erupted at once.
A mist of blood filled the air.
Within the swarm, Unohana continued to cycle her blood and swing her blade—
Minazuki becoming a crimson whip, each strike tearing through dozens of fish.
It became a dance of blood and blades.
Tsunayoshi pressed the attack.
Each slash of his blade fused with a fish—enhancing its power.
Each hit carried a trace of the Rain Attribute's calming effect.
For a brief moment—
He suppressed her.
If not for Minazuki's regeneration—
She would have been shredded to pieces.
But in the end—
Unohana's ability prevailed.
Her blood replacement endured the peak of the assault.
As the number of fish dwindled—
The technique entered decline.
She began to counterattack.
Tsunayoshi made his decision.
Rather than let the technique fade—
He would release its final burst.
The remaining fish surged back, coiling around his blades.
Power gathered—
He slashed upward.
At that moment—
All the fish were released.
Their final song—
Dragon Gate Ascension!
Freed from the blades, the fish transformed—
Into ferocious sea dragons.
They devoured Unohana and drove her upward—slamming her into the ceiling.
"Excellent!"
A faint blush appeared on her face.
The pain—
The clash of blades—
The ecstasy surged through her mind.
To answer this joy—
She gathered blood-red Reiatsu upon Minazuki.
Another Yachiru-style strike was about to fall—
But before she could move—
A streak of azure light shot toward her.
This—
Was Tsunayoshi's true attack.
Everything before—
Was preparation.
To force her into the air—
Away from the blood pool.
To make her—
A target.
Standing atop the blood below, Tsunayoshi brought his twin blades together, their tips aimed directly at Unohana.
Azure Hollow Reiatsu surged violently.
Gran Rey Cero.
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