In the forest behind the mountain, Katori Nanatsuki had finished healing the wounds of Shihōin Yoruichi and Muguruma Kensei.
"You've both improved a lot. The three enemies you defeated were all at the seated officer level," Nanatsuki said with satisfaction.
"Dammit, I really wanted to fight them!" Kensei clenched his fists, visibly frustrated at having missed the battle.
"That's what you get for passing out at the start," Hirako Shinji said with a grin.
"That's only because we didn't know anything about the enemy!" Kensei barked angrily.
Those mosquitoes were indistinguishable from regular ones before they began draining spiritual pressure. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was already too late.
Aizen Sōsuke smiled gently. "Thanks to Kensei-kun risking himself, we were able to discover the mosquitoes' true nature early on."
Kensei threw an arm around Aizen's shoulder and laughed. "Still, Sōsuke, you've got a sharp eye!"
Nanatsuki turned to Aizen. "I didn't expect you to master Shikai so quickly."
Aizen replied humbly, "It's all thanks to my Zanpakutō being friendly. That's probably why I learned Shikai so fast."
Kensei sighed. "Sounds like your Zanpakutō has the same personality as you, huh?"
Nanatsuki chuckled inwardly, but said nothing to expose Aizen.
In truth, Aizen was excellent at reasoning and persuasion. Even if his Zanpakutō had a proud or difficult personality, it probably wouldn't take long for him to talk it into obedience.
Just then, Nanatsuki's eyes flickered.
He sensed a powerful wave of Reiatsu not far off.
But he quickly dismissed the thought of a new enemy invasion—the Reiatsu was all too familiar.
It was Katori Batsu'unsai's Reiatsu.
Nanatsuki looked up. A Senkaimon had already appeared in the sky.
The gate opened, and a foot clad in white tabi and red geta stepped out.
Katori Batsu'unsai stood suspended in the air, her hands tucked into her long sleeves, gaze sweeping through the forest until it locked directly onto Nanatsuki.
Shunpo. In a blur, Batsu'unsai appeared right before Nanatsuki.
His expression shifted subtly. The pressure radiating from her was far too intense—completely unlike her usual frail self.
One glance at her Status Interface stunned him further.
[Katori Batsu'unsai]
[Talent: S+]
[Reiatsu: |v97]
[Reputation Level: Close]
[Status: Noble Resolve, Potential Unleashed, Spiritual Pressure Core Exhausted, Countdown...]
Batsu'unsai's Reiatsu usually fluctuated between level 40 to 70—but now it had spiked to a terrifying 97!
And her status had a bunch of new conditions:
[Noble Resolve: Everyone dies, but I can choose how I die.]
[Potential Unleashed: This is the peak of my condition.]
[Countdown: Time is life. Hers is already counting down.]
"Why is this happening?!" Nanatsuki couldn't believe what he was seeing.
How had her condition deteriorated so rapidly?
Based on everything he knew about Kaido and medical theory, there was no way this was natural.
"I'm going to find Unohana-taichō!" Nanatsuki said, realizing his own Kaido wasn't enough to handle this.
"No need. I know what's happening to my body. Come with me," Batsu'unsai said, disappearing with a flash of Shunpo.
Nanatsuki was filled with anxiety but had no choice but to follow. He turned to his students. "I'm going after her. You all head to the Seireitei and bring Unohana-taichō!"
Without waiting for a reply, Nanatsuki vanished in pursuit.
Yoruichi and the others didn't dare waste time. They already knew Batsu'unsai's condition wasn't good, and seeing their teacher this frantic could only mean something truly serious had occurred. They immediately rushed toward Seireitei.
Batsu'unsai made no attempt to hide her Reiatsu, so Nanatsuki found her easily.
She hadn't gone far—just stopped in a more open area, waiting for him.
"Draw your sword, Nanatsuki," she said, unsheathing her Zanpakutō.
"You're probably wondering why so much of Katori-ryu swordsmanship is focused on Iaido."
Nanatsuki's heart sank. He was beginning to sense what she intended. His voice grew low. "You told me from the start that Katori-ryu specializes in Iaido."
"Indeed. It's connected to the true secret of Katori-ryu," Batsu'unsai said with a faint smile.
"The true secret of Katori-ryu?" Nanatsuki repeated, surprised. Even after all this time, he had never heard of such a thing.
"To master it, one must first hone their control over Reiatsu to the absolute limit."
She lifted her Zanpakutō and pressed its blade between her index and middle fingers.
"But while mastering other techniques, you've already unknowingly set one foot across that threshold."
"Nanatsuki, you're ready to learn the secret art of Katori-ryu."
"This is a truth that cannot be spoken—it must be felt."
With that, she released the grip of her fingers. The blade swung in an instant.
A burst of Flowlight surged forward, hurtling toward Nanatsuki at incredible speed.
He had just drawn his Zanpakutō when the Flowlight was already upon him.
CLANG!!!
It wasn't that he blocked it—the Flowlight slammed straight into his blade!
A tremendous force surged through the blade, shattering the skin between thumb and forefinger on both hands.
In the next moment, he was hurled through the forest by sheer force.
Crash, crash, crash! The giant trees and boulders in his path shattered instantly as he was flung through them.
Nanatsuki was blasted all the way out of the Fuwai District.
His arms were both bleeding heavily, the wounds glowing faintly with Kaido's healing light.
"Was that... Flowlight?"
Batsu'unsai's Flowlight was monstrous!
Nanatsuki couldn't even believe it was the same technique. Compared to hers, his version of Flowlight felt like a different sword art entirely.
If he had tried to endure it head-on, even his Zanpakutō might've been shattered.
Shunpo. Batsu'unsai appeared in front of him again. "Do you see the difference now?"
Nanatsuki nodded. "You didn't use the scabbard for charge-up."
She had performed Iaido without the sheath.
After reaching mastery in Flowlight, Nanatsuki could also execute it without the scabbard—but doing so scattered the Reiatsu Blade too much, making it hard to focus the power.
But Batsu'unsai's Flowlight had crossed over a kilometer, and the power remained focused.
Batsu'unsai raised her Zanpakutō again with a soft smile.
"Then let's continue."