[Ding! Today's gain multiplier is 75. Multiplier Applied!]
[Ding! The Zanjutsu experience pool is full. Level increased to 9!]
Rayleigh had served as Sean's personal experience farm for a full two and a half months.
Finally...
'System, open the personal attribute panel.'
[Ding! The personal attribute panel is now expanded.]
[Sean Campbell]
[Zanjutsu: Lv.9 (37/990,000)]
[Hakuda: Lv.6 (150/10,000)]
[Hohō: Lv.6 (3,220/10,000)]
[Kidō: Lv.6 (4,755/10,000)]
[Reiryoku: 39,800]
[Physique: 9,510]
[Zanpakutō: Hekireki (Bankai achieved)]
[Special Ability: High-Speed Regeneration Lv.5 (650/10,000)]
His Zanjutsu had finally reached level nine. Even though he hadn't put it into practical use yet, Sean could already feel it.
The difference between level eight and level nine was absolute—a complete metamorphosis. In terms of swordsmanship alone, he felt he could take on two versions of himself from a minute ago and win.
He was even more curious about what level ten would bring. However, he paused, staring at the experience requirement.
990,000?
'Wait, this is ridiculous!'
If he added up all the experience he had gained across every single attribute until now, it wouldn't even come close to 990,000. Was he supposed to spend the rest of his life grinding for a single level?
"Hmm, Sean, why do I feel like you've suddenly become much stronger?"
Rayleigh's eyes widened. The aura Sean projected now was entirely different.
Before, Rayleigh could still sense something akin to the presence of a Great Swordsman emanating from him. But now... he felt nothing.
This phenomenon only occurred when the gap in swordsmanship between two parties became so vast that the weaker party could no longer perceive the strength of the stronger.
Yet, only a minute ago, Sean's skills—while slightly superior to his own—were only so much stronger. How could he have leaped forward in such a short time? It was as if a mere swordsman had instantly become a sword master, or a master had suddenly ascended to the rank of Great Swordsman.
"It's nothing. Maybe I just had an epiphany?"
"An epiphany? What's that?"
"Well, just think of it as me suddenly figuring something out, which led to a massive jump in my skill."
...
'As if I'd believe that.'
Rayleigh knew there were no shortcuts in the way of the sword. No matter how brilliant one's talent, progress was made one step at a time. It was impossible to achieve such a massive leap simply by "thinking" about it.
But then again, he let it go.
Rayleigh knew Sean harbored many secrets, and the answer to this question was undoubtedly one of them. No matter how much he pressed, he wouldn't get a straight answer.
'Whatever. I've already decided to actually retire this time. If someone wants a headache, let Shanks deal with it!'
Rayleigh sighed. "Sean, look, for over two months, I've spent at least ten hours a day practicing the sword with you. Honestly, this period has nearly drained the life out of me!"
"Fine, just tell me what you want," Sean replied. "I'm in a good mood, so I might actually consider it."
"Now that's what I'm talking about! I'm curious... just how far has your true strength gone? How about a fight where we both go all out?"
"I could do that, but I'm afraid you'll regret it," Sean said after a brief hesitation.
True strength? That meant Bankai. The problem was that once Bankai was unleashed, even in a friendly spar, Sean feared Rayleigh's aging body wouldn't be able to withstand the pressure.
"Regret it? What, do you think you can one-shot me?"
"Since you insist, fine. But we need to move. Otherwise, the repair bill for the fortress will be terrifying."
With that, Sean leaped into the air, releasing Reiryoku beneath his feet to support himself, allowing him to walk through the sky.
Seeing this, Rayleigh also ascended, using Moonwalk to stay aloft. However, every time Rayleigh saw Sean simply walking through the air, his lip twitched.
Because while hopping around with Moonwalk was fine on its own, when compared to Sean's effortless stroll, Rayleigh felt like a complete idiot.
Over an hour later, the two arrived at a deserted island thirty miles away—the same small island Sean frequented whenever he practiced Kidō.
If Sean had come alone, it would have taken ten minutes. But with Rayleigh as a "dead weight," it took over an hour. After all, the movement speed of Moonwalk in the air was simply too slow.
"Rayleigh, ready?"
"Ready. Let's begin!"
The two stood opposite each other. Sean slowly drew Hekireki.
"Banri Raichi, Mujin Raien! (Ten thousand leagues of thunder mire, an endless lightning abyss)."
"Bankai: Kyūten Raika!"
BOOM!!!!!
In an instant, the world changed. Looking up, the entire sky was blanketed in thunderclouds, blocking every single ray of sunlight. A domain of absolute darkness descended.
And within this black void, massive bolts of lightning leaped and surged through the air.
Even though Rayleigh was about twenty meters away from Sean, he could feel his body being constantly jolted by electrical shocks. Instinctively, he activated Full Body Armament Haki.
The oppressive pressure was so immense that even a man of his caliber was shaken. No, it wasn't just shock—it was fear.
Yes, Rayleigh was afraid. Every muscle, every single cell in his body was screaming a warning. It was the alarm of death—an unavoidable end.
When he looked back at Sean, he realized the man had completely changed.
Hekireki had transformed from a physical blade into a manifestation of pure energy. It was similar to the Ama-no-Murakumo created by Kizaru, but instead of golden yellow, it was a piercing, pure azure blue.
Nine bolts of lightning, compressed to an extreme and radiating terrifying power, floated around Sean's body in a slow, rotating orbit. Rayleigh felt that if even one of those bolts struck him, he would be critically wounded, if not killed instantly.
'What on earth is this thing?'
"Rayleigh, grit your teeth and defend with everything you've got!"
"Please... don't die!!"
"Kyūten Raika: Tenchi Raibatsu!"
'Swoosh...'
One of the nine bolts shot instantly into the sky, vanishing into the endless thunder pool above. In the next moment, the thunder pool erupted in a violent frenzy, its momentum becoming even more horrific.
Rayleigh's expression turned grave. He pushed his Armament Haki to its absolute limit, projecting it outward. Moments later, his blade turned pitch black, and then, a ripple-like effect appeared across the darkened steel.
Armament Haki, fourth stage: Ryu! (T/N: Author used Ryu probably as a mastery over the three other stages.)
According to the laws of the world, the first stage of Armament Haki was coating, and the second was emission.
The third stage was Internal Destruction.
The fourth stage was Ryu.
As for the fifth stage—the final stage of Armament Haki—legend claimed it existed. However, Rayleigh had never reached it. In fact, he had no idea what the fifth stage looked like or how one even achieved it.
Right now, he knew a terrifying attack was about to descend. Pure defense would be useless; his best bet was to meet it head-on with his own strongest attack. Even if he couldn't shatter the onslaught, he could at least deplete a significant portion of its energy.
After that, he would cover himself in Full Body Armament for a final layer of protection.
If he did that, there was a high probability he could survive.
The logic was sound, and the plan was flawless, but Rayleigh had underestimated one thing: the sheer potency of Sean's technique.
In the next second, the violent thunderpool in the sky reached its critical point. Countless bolts of black lightning began to rain down frantically, striking at Rayleigh from every conceivable angle.
Rayleigh's eyes widened, and he cursed Sean in his heart, 'You brat, you have no sense of honor!'
There were at least a thousand bolts of lightning, and the power of each individual strike was not far off from the slash Rayleigh was preparing to unleash.
How was he supposed to defend against this? Destroy one, only to be hit by a thousand others?
With his current physical state, he probably couldn't tank that.
There was no more time for deliberation. He could only charge forward with his blade, unleashing his strongest slash toward the densest concentration of lightning directly above him.
'Boom!'
The slash collided with the mass of lightning, the two forces locked in a violent struggle. Simultaneously, lightning from all other directions slammed relentlessly into Rayleigh's body.
For a moment, a blinding flash of light erupted, illuminating the entire island.
'''
Several minutes later.
As Sean deactivated the technique and returned Hekireki to its scabbard, the thunderpool in the sky vanished instantly, and the sunlight broke through once more.
However, the island was now a ruin. Not a single tree remained; everything had been burned to ash. At the center of the island lay a crater dozens of meters deep and over a hundred meters wide. Rayleigh lay at the bottom, his condition unknown.
After a moment, Sean descended from the sky and stood beside Rayleigh, sensing his aura.
'Hmm, it's faint, but he's still breathing.'
'It seems... this old man is quite durable!'
Ignoring the fact that Rayleigh was severely injured, Sean grabbed him by the collar and leaped into the air, sprinting toward the 16th Branch.