After finishing his tasks, it wasn't long before Hasumi Ren returned to the clearing outside the camp.
The moonlight remained unchanged, as did the night breeze.
He drew his Zanpakuto, preparing to resume his earlier practice.
However, just as he swung his blade for the first time, he detected a sound behind him.
Ren looked back.
Unohana stood there quietly, her pristine Captain's haori fluttering gently in the night breeze.
She carried a small Reishi lamp in her hand, its light casting an exceptionally soft glow upon her face.
"Captain."
Ren sheathed his sword and bowed.
Unohana took a few steps closer, her gaze falling upon the Zanpakuto in his hand.
"What are you doing?"
"I wanted to practice my swordsmanship a bit more."
"Swordsmanship?"
"Yes, swordsmanship."
Unohana fell silent for a moment.
Then, she asked softly.
"Have you ever sought guidance for your swordsmanship?"
Ren paused, answering truthfully.
"I've never formally studied it. I only learned the basics at the Spiritual Arts Academy, watched others practice while in the Second Division, and figured out the rest on my own."
Unohana nodded, offering no critique.
She walked up to Ren and held out her hand.
"Let me see your sword."
Ren handed his Zanpakuto to her.
Unohana took the blade, gently running her fingers along the steel.
The edge gleamed with a cold light under the moon, but as her fingers glided across it, that icy gleam seemed to soften.
"How long has this sword been with you?"
"I've carried it since I graduated from the Academy. A few years now."
"Hmm, not bad."
Unohana handed the sword back to him.
Then, she suddenly asked.
"Do you want to learn swordsmanship?"
Ren froze at her words.
He looked at Unohana, but he couldn't read any emotion on her gentle face.
He truly hadn't expected Unohana to bring this up on her own initiative.
"Captain, you're willing to teach me?"
"I asked if you want to learn."
Ren remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, he nodded earnestly.
"I do."
Unohana looked at him, a trace of complex emotion flashing through her eyes.
"Why do you want to learn?"
"To..."
Ren thought for a moment.
"Probably so that, when the time comes, I can protect the people behind me."
Unohana was slightly taken aback.
*Protect the people behind me.*
She recalled a time a thousand years ago, standing amidst a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, without a single person by her side who needed protecting.
There were only enemies that needed to be killed.
"Protect the people behind you..."
She softly repeated his words, a very faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
It was completely different from how she had been back then.
She turned and began walking back toward the camp.
After a few steps, she suddenly stopped.
"Tomorrow evening, at this exact time. Come find me."
Ren blinked in surprise.
Unohana didn't look back; her voice drifted over the night breeze.
"For now, go back and get some sleep."
Ren watched her silhouette disappear into the darkness.
It was a long while before he finally looked away.
He sheathed his Zanpakuto and turned to head back to the camp.
The next day, after a busy shift, the injured patients around them had mostly been treated and stabilized.
After resting at the camp for a few more days, they would be able to lead these wounded members back to the Seireitei.
That night, Ren arrived at the clearing outside the camp right on time.
Unohana was already waiting there.
She had changed into lighter attire, shedding her Captain's haori. Her long hair was no longer braided in front of her chest, but instead cascaded freely in the wind.
She simply stood there quietly.
Yet Ren felt that the Unohana standing before him right now gave off a slightly different aura than usual.
"You're here."
She spoke.
"Yes."
Unohana tossed a freshly carved wooden sword over to him.
Ren caught it, feeling a bit surprised.
"A wooden sword?"
"We won't be using real swords today."
Unohana picked up a wooden sword of her own.
"Real swords hurt people."
She walked up to Ren, stopping about three meters away from him.
"Since you want to practice swordsmanship, as your Captain, I suppose I have an obligation to give you some pointers."
"I watched your practice methods yesterday, and to be honest, I couldn't bear to look at it."
"The thought of frequently seeing you practice swordsmanship like that gives me a headache. I might as well give you some advice and see if you have any talent in this area."
"If you don't, then from now on, you should just specialize in Kido."
Ren's mouth twitched upon hearing this.
*Good grief, so she was just thoroughly disgusted by my practice routine.*
*Was it really that bad...?*
Seeing Ren grip the wooden sword tightly, Unohana gave a gentle nod.
"Remember this, Ren."
"The swordsmanship I understand is not about forms, not about exerting force, nor is it about Spiritual Pressure."
She flicked her wrist.
The wooden sword pointed straight at Ren.
In the next instant, Ren's pupils violently contracted.
Even though it was just a wooden sword, even though there was no Spiritual Pressure, in that split second, Ren felt as if he were staring at a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
He saw countless departed souls who had fallen beneath her blade.
A moment later, the illusions vanished.
Ren snapped back to reality, his forehead already drenched in cold sweat.
It felt as though he had just taken a stroll through the gates of hell.
Even though the Unohana standing before him was holding a wooden sword, Ren still had a distinct feeling.
Even with a wooden sword, Unohana could hack him to death with a single strike.
"Did you feel that?"
Unohana lowered her wooden sword, her tone as calm as if she were discussing the weather.
"What you were practicing before was merely swinging a blade at the air."
"The essence of swordsmanship is using a blade to kill your opponent. All techniques, all schools of style, serve this single purpose."
She looked at Ren. Her gaze remained gentle, but Ren couldn't shake the feeling that deep beneath that gentleness, something was slowly awakening.
"Starting today, I will teach you the swordsmanship that I understand."
"Step one."
She raised the wooden sword once more.
"Feel the killing intent."
For the next two hours, Ren continuously experienced the sensation of being killed.
Although he wasn't actually being cut, that near-death feeling followed him like a shadow.
Every time Unohana swung her sword, that tangible killing intent would wash over him, making every hair on his body stand on end.
The first time, Ren subconsciously retreated.
Unohana stopped her blade and stood still, quietly looking at him.
"Why did you step back?"
"...Instinctive reaction."
"Overcome it."
Unohana's tone remained calm.
"The enemy won't spare you just because you retreat. Again."
The second time, he didn't retreat, but the sword in his hand was half a beat too slow.
Unohana's wooden sword tapped against his chest, causing his breath to hitch.
"Why did you hesitate?"
"...I was thinking about how to counter."
Unohana withdrew her sword.
"The moment the killing intent arrives, your body must react faster than your brain."
"If you let your brain move first, you are already dead."
"Again."
A third time, a fourth time, a fifth time...
Two hours later, Ren was completely drenched in sweat.
If these were real swords, if this were a real battle.
He had lost count of exactly how many times he would have died beneath Unohana's blade.
Fortunately, Unohana didn't actually want to kill him.
As Unohana brought her sword down once more, fragments drifted into Ren's body again.
The system prompts hadn't stopped since the moment Unohana swung her sword for the very first time.
Over the past two hours, the experience Ren had gained far exceeded his imagination.
But Ren had no time to look at them.
He stared intently at the wooden sword in Unohana's hand, waiting for the next attack.
He was finally beginning to gradually adapt to that killing intent and react in time.
But at that moment, Unohana lowered her sword.
She turned around, leaving Ren with only the sight of her back.
"That is all for today."
Ren blinked in surprise.
Unohana took a few steps, then suddenly stopped, speaking without looking back.
"Tomorrow, we continue."
With that, she disappeared into the night.
Ren stood rooted to the spot, unmoving for a long time.
He was still silently digesting the immense pressure brought on by that terrifying killing intent.
Until he saw a new system prompt appear.
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