Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō-Chapter 211: Shinsoku

Masatsuki Aozaki stared in shock as the deceptively delicate woman extended her left hand and grasped the tip of her bloodstained blade. The sword elongated, thick crimson blood dripping from its edge before bending unnaturally.

Retsu Unohana closed in, leaving him no time to think. Masatsuki raised his double-edged long sword and met her head-on.

She stepped forward and swung her blade straight down at him.

By the standards of swordsmanship, she was an undisputed master—against opponents of equal Reiatsu, she could easily take on three or four at once.

But that applied only to ordinary fighters with powerful Reiatsu. Her current opponent... could not be considered ordinary in any sense.

Masatsuki Aozaki's speed erupted in an instant. Her curved Zanpakutō was still mid-air, blocked by his twin-bladed sword—yet before the moment could fully register, Masatsuki had already closed the distance, his chest nearly pressed against hers.

Shinsoku! (Godspeed!)

Masatsuki Aozaki had developed his own footwork technique, drawing inspiration from the movement technique used by Hikone Ubuginu in the original timeline. By combining the Shinigami's Shunpo, the Arrancar's Sonido, the Quincy's Hirenkyaku, and the Fullbringer's Bringer Light, he had created a step technique unmatched in velocity.

It surpassed any existing movement skill, allowing him to evade Reiatsu detection like Sonido while simultaneously forming Reishi beneath his feet like Hirenkyaku.

Masatsuki pressed one hand against Unohana's chest, pausing for an instant. Then, his muscles tensed, fingers curling into a tight fist before he struck with full force.

The technique—Inch Punch—a burst of explosive power he had learned from the martial arts of Western nations, sent Unohana, whose Reiatsu-hardened body was like steel, hurtling backward. She crashed into a rock face dozens of meters away.

"...Melting?"

Masatsuki lifted his right hand, still gripping his sword. His flesh, splattered by the blood from their clash, had begun dissolving—skin and muscle vanishing to reveal stark white bone.

But a second later—

His body rapidly regenerated. In the blink of an eye, he was completely restored.

Without hesitation, he pushed forward. His form flickered, seeming almost weightless as he reappeared before Unohana in an instant.

The single punch had torn a hole clean through her chest, yet to her, such an injury was insignificant.

A mist of blood spread over the wound, and within moments, it had sealed completely.

Masatsuki was unsurprised.

Unohana had never hidden anything from him. He already knew the full extent of her Bankai's power.

Minazuki—a Bankai that granted control over blood within a certain range. However, it did not possess the ability to dissolve or heal flesh on its own.

Those abilities stemmed from Tenjirō Kirinji, the founder of Kaidō.

Long ago, Unohana had sought him out, not for healing, but to prolong her battles—to fight longer, to enjoy them more. Under his guidance, she developed these regenerative techniques, which later became the foundation of Minazuki's healing abilities.

"This... is also part of your Bankai's power?"

Unohana's gaze lingered on Masatsuki's arm, puzzled. She hadn't used Minazuki to heal him, and yet his body had regenerated on its own.

Shinigami didn't possess such rapid regeneration.

Could it be... his Zanpakutō had the power to create flesh?

Masatsuki shook his head slightly. After fusing with the Hōgyoku, his regeneration had been drastically enhanced—so much so that even deep, internal wounds could heal in an instant.

But he said nothing.

His sword was already swinging down again.

Unohana frowned slightly. If it wasn't his Zanpakutō's power... and it didn't resemble Kaidō...

Then what was it?

At that moment, she saw it—

A dim, blood-red glow, like a cursed blade bathed in the endless wails of the damned.

A silent domain of blood unfolded.

Scarlet liquid seeped from Masatsuki's blade, and in an instant, the once-vibrant world of colors was consumed by a vast, crimson abyss.

Two bloodstained demons stood upon a sea of blood, locked in an unyielding standoff.

Unohana's heart pounded violently. A rush of exhilaration, unlike anything she had ever felt, surged through her.

For the first time in centuries—

Her blood boiled with excitement.

"I finally understand what this world truly is."

Retsu Unohana didn't even notice the change in herself. Without hesitation, she threw herself into battle against Masatsuki Aozaki with everything she had.

What a greedy man. His heart is filled with the hearts of others.

Yet, this greed wasn't repulsive—it was the very foundation of human existence.

I am part of it too. We all exist within the hearts of others. Isn't that what it means to be human?

To fight and struggle endlessly—so be it!

Masatsuki Aozaki!

It was infuriating that he had hidden his true abilities from her. He had never once told her what he was truly capable of.

Had he deliberately used Minazuki in an attempt to defeat her head-on?

In Unohana's vision, at the farthest edge of this blood-soaked world, stood a dangerous man, staring at her intently. A faint crimson glow flickered in his eyes.

Behind him stretched an endless sea of blood. In front of her stood a warrior whose presence loomed like an unshakable force. Trapped in this narrow world, Unohana did not back down.

Masatsuki Aozaki closed the distance in an instant. Fueled by the intoxicating thrill of battle, he leapt high into the air. Arcs of scarlet slashes, dripping with blood, tore through the space around them. The razor-thin crimson blades shot out, slicing the air apart.

The sheer force of his attack was overwhelming, but Unohana remained unfazed. She knew the feeling of being corroded by these blood blades well—but this corrosion was not beyond recovery.

She suddenly sprang backward, narrowly avoiding Masatsuki's strike.

Plunging her curved blade into the ground, she swept it in a wide arc, unleashing a surge of blood that crashed into the crimson sea behind her.

Unohana trembled slightly. Her movements had been swift, but the presence of death still loomed close—too close.

Then, she caught a familiar scent—cold, sharp, and unmistakably bloody.

But this scent... this was hers.

She had only ever smelled it on herself.

Yet now, there was someone else who carried it.

"So fast—!"

A faint ripple echoed beneath her feet. Unohana glanced down.

Within the seemingly empty blood, a long, blood-red blade gleamed ominously. It was already slicing through her chest.

Terror exploded within her mind.

The sensation of steel parting flesh was all too real. The keen edge pressed against her skin, and in that instant—extreme speed combined with a blade sharp enough to tear through her Reiatsu's outer defenses.

Her strength abandoned her. Her body shuddered violently.

From her left abdomen to her right shoulder, her torso was split apart.

The moment her severed flesh touched the blood below, it began to melt.

Unohana lost her balance. Her body began to fall.

In that moment, she understood.

This was the source of his confidence.

Within the same level of Reiatsu, Masatsuki Aozaki was simply too powerful.

Even Yamamoto himself—without unleashing his Zanpakutō—might not be able to defeat him!

...

Hueco Mundo – Forest of Menos.

Amidst swirling sand and jagged quartz trees, three figures dressed in white and wearing broken masks moved swiftly through the desolate landscape.

They dashed into a cavern, stopping before what seemed less like a cave and more like a fortress carved into the stone.

Massive white boulders formed its outer walls, resembling a miniature castle, nestled against the cave's rocky interior.

This was the Queen's domain.

The door creaked open from within. A slender, bronze-skinned foot stepped forward, touching the ground with effortless grace.

Her toned, elegant legs carried a presence that was nothing short of breathtaking.

Every movement of her figure exuded a captivating allure, yet her expression remained ice-cold, her gaze sharp and commanding—the presence of a true queen.

"You're finally back," Tier Harribel said, stepping aside to let them enter. Her voice was steady, composed. "How is the situation? Any movement from Las Noches?"

She settled onto a plush, crimson sofa, her piercing gaze fixed on them as she waited for their report.

"There's been a lot of movement! I'm pretty sure they've mobilized their entire army!" Apacci flopped onto the couch without a care, her voice brimming with excitement.

"We captured some Adjuchas from Las Noches and interrogated them," Sung-Sun added, her expression grim. "It's likely that Baraggan will step in personally."

Harribel nodded, her expression unreadable. "That's understandable. A king would never let the death of his most loyal and powerful subordinate go unanswered."

Her golden eyes swept over them.

"For now, stay in the base. From this point on, I will handle intelligence gathering myself."

...

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