Hearing Yamabuki's words, Batsu'unsai Katori lowered her head, her eyes a bit strange, but she said nothing.
"Sister, you didn't eat much just now, eat more!" Chizuru said.
Batsu'unsai Katori showed a standard gentle smile: "Sister isn't hungry, you eat!"
It was late at night.
Batsu'unsai Katori sat by candlelight, mending her sister's torn clothes. Halfway through, she remembered what Yamabuki had told her earlier that day.
"My eyes... a murderer?" Batsu'unsai Katori murmured to herself.
When was the first time she saw blood splatter?
A long, long time ago, before her sister was born, and she was just a small child herself.
She remembered clearly that day her parents took her to Rukongai to visit a great noble. On the way back, their carriage was attacked by a group of wandering samurai.
Batsu'unsai Katori gently closed her eyes, recalling the experience of that day.
Her mother trembled, holding her, while her father drew his Sword and fought these samurai. Although the samurai were numerous, they were never a match for her father. In an instant, several of them were cut down by her father, blood and flesh flying, the scene extremely tragic.
Her mother was so scared she closed her eyes and dared not look.
Batsu'unsai Katori, however, was struck by the beauty of the scene!
So this was how beautiful blood looked when it spurted from a person!
No flower in the world was even a thousandth as beautiful as this!
In that instant, Batsu'unsai Katori found her life's goal: she, too, wanted to become a person like her father.
But reality was very cruel.
Because she was a girl.
From a young age, she had to learn all sorts of noble rules, and from a young age, she was told that girls should be gentle and graceful, that girls should be obedient, and that what girls did when they grew up was to assist their husbands and raise their children, not to be rude, not to speak loudly, but to learn flower arranging, calligraphy, and painting.
Batsu'unsai Katori silently endured everything, gradually becoming the pride in her parents' eyes and a model young lady in the eyes of other nobles.
Later, after her persistent pleading, her father finally hired a kendo teacher for her, but after half a day of learning, Batsu'unsai Katori felt that kendo was not violent enough and turned to practicing naginata.
As she grew older, Batsu'unsai Katori discovered that her Soul Power increased much faster than ordinary people, but her parents seemed completely indifferent to her talent in this area.
"Girls just need to do what girls should do! What kind of proper behavior is it to wield swords and spears?" Her father told her this.
But slowly, her inner craving for blood grew stronger, yet the education she had received since childhood told her that a girl should not carry a sword onto the battlefield to cut people down.
Because that wasn't gentle, nor elegant, and not what a qualified noble young lady should do.
Thus, the worldview she had built since childhood began to strongly conflict with the desires she pursued within her heart.
Thinking of this, Batsu'unsai Katori stopped her needlework and stared blankly at the candlelight.
Could she only be a "puppet" her entire life?
Bound by these decaying rules, never able to be happy.
A butterfly flapped its wings and landed on Batsu'unsai Katori's hand.
Batsu'unsai Katori looked at the butterfly, then suddenly flipped her wrist, tightly gripping the butterfly, crushing it into dust, and then slowly releasing her hand!
It's... almost at its limit.
...
"Brother Yamabuki, look at this!" Chōjirō Sasakibe happily showed off the Zanpakuto in his hand.
"Hmm? You've become a full member too?" Yamabuki was a little surprised.
"Mm! My Soul Power is rank fourteen, which is enough to join the Gotei 13." Chōjirō Sasakibe was beaming with joy.
From today onwards, he was no longer the errand boy, but had officially become a member of the Gotei 13.
"Congratulations!" Yamabuki said indifferently: "Don't get conceited. This is just the beginning. Only when your Zanpakuto is released can you truly be considered a Shinigami!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe became even more excited: "Yamabuki, my Zanpakuto has already achieved Shikai!"
"Huh???" Yamabuki was dumbfounded. Right, this kid's setting seemed to be that of a genius too. He learned Bankai in just one month. Although he couldn't compare to Kurosaki Ichigo, the cheat, for most people, he was an unattainable existence.
Every person who can use Bankai will be recorded in the history of Soul Society.
"Brother Yamabuki, you're so amazing, you must also be able to use Shikai, right? What's your Zanpakuto's ability?" Chōjirō Sasakibe asked innocently.
Yamabuki's eyes darted around. This little rascal just had to bring up what he shouldn't!
What's my Zanpakuto's ability? How should I know?
However, judging from the previous battle, his Zanpakuto's Shikai ability was very likely related to speed.
"Stop prying around there. My Zanpakuto's ability is a secret; how can I just tell you?" Yamabuki said with a guilty look. It would be too embarrassing to just tell his junior, "I haven't awakened my Zanpakuto yet!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe looked like he had learned something: "I see. Brother Yamabuki, would you like to see my ability?"
"Alright, go wait for me in the training hall," Yamabuki said.
After Chōjirō Sasakibe left, Yamabuki tapped his Sword in exasperation, as if hitting a piece of iron that couldn't be forged into steel.
"Can't you just tell me your name? You're acting like the secret service! Are you happy to see me embarrassed in front of my junior?" Yamabuki complained.
Afterwards, he also arrived at the training hall.
Chōjirō Sasakibe cheerfully drew his Zanpakuto: "Brother Yamabuki, be careful. Pierce, Gonryōmaru."
The Zanpakuto's appearance changed from a katana to a Western-style rapier, its blade enveloped in lightning. Although he didn't know how strong it was, it certainly looked cool.
Yamabuki said with a sour look: "Flashy! A Shinigami's battle is a battle of Soul Power. As long as your Soul Power is strong enough, even the weakest Zanpakuto can unleash immense power! Conversely, if you don't have powerful Soul Power, even the strongest Zanpakuto is useless in your hands. Come on, let me see this Sword's ability!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe looked at his Zanpakuto with excitement. Lightning enveloped the entire blade as he charged forward fiercely.
Yamabuki nodded slightly. It seemed that after its release, Gonryōmaru not only possessed lightning-attribute power but also could slightly increase the user's speed.
Facing the thrusting Zanpakuto, Yamabuki merely extended two fingers and lightly pinched the opponent's attack.
No matter how hard Chōjirō Sasakibe tried, the rapier remained motionless, as if it were forged in steel between Yamabuki's two fingers.
"Not bad, not bad!" Yamabuki said with a relaxed expression: "This young man is still too green. Go back and practice for another ten years."
Why hasn't my Zanpakuto awakened yet! I'm so envious!
....
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