Blades surrounded him from every direction, leaving not a single gap. Yet in Tachibana Kyūjō’s eyes, there was a faint glimmer of excitement he could no longer hide.

To him, this was something rare—a genuine battle between two true masters of the sword.

Unohana Retsu’s swordsmanship was indeed top-tier. By most standards, her skill had reached the very summit of this world.

But for Kyūjō, who had walked the path of the sword for countless years without pause, that alone wasn’t enough.

At least for now, everything Unohana had shown him remained within the bounds of technique.

Yes, her blade had traveled far—but to the Tachibana Kyūjō of this moment… it was still not enough.

Even a thousand swings could be shattered by a single cut.

A brilliant arc of light burst forth from his blade, merging seamlessly with his Reiatsu, his intent, and his very soul—becoming one in a single strike.

Like an aurora slicing through the darkness of night, the flash of his sword pierced through every shadow, tore through the void, and passed cleanly through Unohana Retsu’s body—then out the other side.

“One breath…”

With just a single exhale, the Reiatsu Kyūjō had previously expended returned to him completely, as if it had never been drained at all.

Unohana stood frozen, a deep gash carved into her chest. Crimson blood spilled from the corner of her lips.

Her hand trembled around the hilt of her shattered sword, eyes wide with confusion and disbelief.

She had never imagined witnessing such a scene. Losing—she could accept that.

What she couldn’t understand was this: How could a Shinigami whose Reiatsu was equal—or even slightly weaker—strike her down like this?

No, technically speaking, Tachibana Kyūjō’s Reiatsu was below hers. And yet… that cut… was absolute.

Even without activating Bankai, Unohana knew in her heart—she had lost.

Even if she had used Bankai, she wouldn’t have been able to withstand that blow.

It was a cut she couldn’t comprehend.

Behind that surge of Reiatsu, hidden within Kyūjō’s sword strike, was something much deeper—emotion? Spirit? Will?

That moment repeated in her mind over and over—sharp, overwhelming, indescribable.

Strange visions flickered through her thoughts:

A lightning-infused slash decapitating a monstrous beast…

A single cut that split an island, severed a mountain, divided the seas…

These illusions pulled Unohana into a world she had never known—unfamiliar, yet deeply entrancing.

But the more she tried to grasp its essence, the blurrier it became. Like gazing at a flower through a veil of mist.

“All of that… were they visions…?” Unohana raised her head, her voice faint and hollow as she looked up at Kyūjō.

He turned his sword downward, flicked the remaining blood from its edge, and calmly sheathed it back into its scabbard.

With a soft smile, Kyūjō answered her quietly.

“That… is what I call the Path of My Sword.”

— — —

Soul Society – Twelfth Division, Reiatsu Monitoring Station

Bee-beep… bee-beep…

A shrill alarm rang out, echoing sharply throughout the control room.

“What the—?! A Reiatsu spike this intense?! That’s impossible!” shouted Takao Tateishi, the Shinigami on duty. His face turned pale as he stared at the monitor showing two spiritual graphs skyrocketing at the same time.

“Second-Level Reiatsu? And two of them?!” another operator exclaimed in disbelief.

Without a second thought, Takao bolted from his station and dashed toward the office of Captain Urahara Kisuke.

At that very moment, across the entire Soul Society, every Shinigami with Reiatsu Level Four or higher instinctively turned their heads toward the northern district of Rukongai—the source of that overwhelming surge.

— — —

First Division Headquarters

Gotei 13’s Captain Commander, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, opened his eyes wide. A wave of dense spiritual pressure rolled off him as he growled under his breath.

“Unohana Retsu… You’ve gone too far. How dare you unleash such a Reiatsu within the heart of Soul Society!”

However, the lieutenant standing beside him, Chōjirō Sasakibe, wore a puzzled expression.

“Captain Commander, if I may… who exactly is Captain Unohana fighting?”

Yamamoto fell silent.

That second Reiatsu—it was unfamiliar.

And that was the true mystery. How could a Shinigami attain such power, right under the nose of the Captain Commander himself… without him ever noticing?

— — —

Fifth Division Headquarters

“…Such immense spiritual pressure. Could it be you, Tachibana-kun?”

Aizen Sōsuke lifted his gaze toward the north, his voice barely above a whisper.

— — —

Sixth Division Headquarters

Kuchiki Byakuya lowered the scroll in his hand and calmly massaged his temple.

He murmured softly to himself, “…That’s your Reiatsu, isn’t it, Tachibana…”

— — —

Eighth Division Headquarters

Captain Kyōraku Shunsui was enjoying a quiet drink of sake with his long-time friend, Ukitake Jūshirō.

But the moment that wave of spiritual energy hit, both men immediately froze and turned toward the source.

“One of those is Captain Unohana’s Reiatsu… but the other—I’ve never felt anything like it,” Shunsui muttered.

Ukitake nodded, though uncertainty still clouded his expression.

Noticing this, Shunsui leaned forward, “Jūshirō, do you… know who that second Reiatsu belongs to?”

Ukitake hesitated, brows furrowed, before finally replying,

“I’m not entirely sure. But it feels strangely familiar… like someone I’ve met before.”

Shunsui’s eyes lit up with curiosity.

It wasn’t surprising. Both he and Ukitake were among the very first generation of Yamamoto’s disciples.

Among the currently active members of Gotei 13, only the two of them—alongside Chojiro and Unohana—were veterans from the oldest generation.

Even so, neither Shunsui nor Ukitake had fully crossed into the highest tier of power.

Shunsui himself, while already a Second-Level Reiatsu user, still stood at the edge of that final threshold.

He knew that even if he were to fight Unohana head-on, he’d have no real chance of victory.

Which only made his curiosity toward this mysterious “Shinigami” grow even more intense.

After a few moments of quiet thought, Ukitake spoke again,

“If my senses aren’t mistaken… that Reiatsu feels just like the one I felt from Fourth Division’s Vice-Captain—Tachibana Kyūjō. He’s the one who cured my lung disease years ago, so I remember his Reiatsu very clearly.”

“But… I never knew he was this strong. Could this be… his true power?”

Even Ukitake himself seemed baffled by the notion.

— — —

Eleventh Division Headquarters

Zaraki Kenpachi, the newly appointed captain of the Eleventh Division, narrowed his eyes with dangerous excitement.

An intense battle aura erupted from his body. His blood boiled at the thought of facing such strength.

Without a second’s hesitation, he lifted Yachiru Kusajishi onto his shoulder and launched himself toward the northern sector of Soul Society.

— — —

Second Division Headquarters

Yoruichi Shihōin was preparing for a mission with her loyal lieutenant, Soi Fon, when both of them felt the distant wave of Reiatsu crash over them.

Their eyes met, wide with disbelief.

“…Wait, Kyūjō was this strong all along?” Yoruichi murmured in shock.

“Captain Yoruichi… was that really him?” Soi Fon asked, her eyes sparkling with confusion.

Suddenly, Yoruichi lunged forward and squished Soi Fon’s cheeks with both hands, shaking her gently.

“It’s him!!”

“He didn’t even tell us!!”

“He secretly trained this hard behind our backs?!”

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep