Bleach: No cheat codes, he joined Aizen's side.

Chapter 197, Page 195: From now on, your heart only needs to hold me.
Above the sea of ​​blood, the winds of change are ever-shifting.

For Retsu Unohana, who experienced the Quincy Rebellion, the appearance of the Quincy could only have a slight impact on her at the very beginning.

No matter what tricks Higashino Shuichi used to get those Quincy into his own sea of ​​blood.

To be honest, Retsu Unohana didn't think that these Quincy who only knew how to use Holy Annihilation Arrows posed much of a threat to her.

In Retsu Unohana's memory, only the Quincy King could be considered a threat to them, the Shinigami.

Even if the remaining Quincy used their last abilities to activate the Sacred Beast and the Chaotic Heavenly Puppet, in Retsu Unohana's eyes, their threat level was far less than that of the Kido Cleansing that Shuichi Higashino had used before.

In fact, the Quincy's behavior was exactly as Unohana Retsu had imagined; one after another, sacred arrows of destruction shot from their hands, only to brush past her.

He couldn't even touch Retsu Unohana's body.
However, what Unohana Retsu didn't expect was that while Higashino Shuichi was fighting him with one hand using his Zanpakuto, he was also able to begin condensing the Sacred Arrow with the other hand.

"Well"

Unohana Retsu frowned. Compared to those insignificant Quincy, the Sacred Arrow that Higashino Shuichi had just wielded was clearly more alarming than anything else, given the spiritual pressure attached to it.

"That's your goal, isn't it?"
"Summon these Quincy, and then borrow their power?"

After Unohana Retsu delivered a spinning flick that knocked Higashino Shuichi back from in front of her, she said.

She felt that she had guessed Higashino Shuichi's intention. From a certain perspective, Higashino Shuichi's approach was not wrong, because her sea of ​​blood was too much of a constraint for most Shinigami who relied on Zanpakuto abilities to fight. If she did not seek other powers to break through this limitation, then Higashino Shuichi could not hope to defeat her in the sea of ​​blood.

Even if someone like Shuichi Higashino used his Resurrection ability to force his Blood Sea to temporarily shut down, it wouldn't work. Shutting down only makes his Blood Sea lose the effect of restraining special abilities, but Retsu Unohana can still use the Blood Sea to recover infinitely.

Seeing that Higashino Shuichi did not answer, Unohana Retsu cleaved the huge Holy Annihilation Arrow that Higashino Shuichi had thrown at her with a single stroke.
"Unfortunately, your approach won't be very effective. Once my Blood Sea recovers from the shutdown you mentioned, the power you've painstakingly sought will disappear due to the deaths of those Quincy!"

"I feel sorry for Unohana," Retsu said.

She didn't believe that these weak Quincy could resist being devoured by her own sea of ​​blood, just like Shuichi Higashino.

However, at the very moment Unohana Retsu uttered those words, Higashino Shuichi revealed a sunny smile.

"So, Captain, aren't you curious?"

Why, even after our battle has dragged on this far, have I still not been able to unleash my Bankai from my Zanpakuto before you?

In that instant, Unohana Retsu's pupils contracted sharply.

Yes, why hasn't Shuichi Higashino used his Bankai yet?

No, that's not right. It's not that Higashino Shuichi didn't use it, but that he didn't chant it!

Unohana Retsu suddenly remembered a technique invented by Higashino Shuichi but often overlooked: silent chanting!

Retsu Unohana looked at Shuichi Higashino and saw the incredibly confident expression on his face. She understood that Shuichi Higashino had already activated his Bankai!
So, what Bankai ability does Shuichi Higashino possess that he has to hide in this way?
A few minutes earlier, in the Soul Society, in the Fifth Division's activity room, Aizen, the captain of the Fifth Division, was practicing calligraphy with the other Shinigami members when he suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong, Captain?"

Aizen's vice-captain asked Aizen.

"Nothing much. I just agreed to a small request from a mischievous kid."

Is Higashino Shuichi capable of dragging Quincy from the present world into Unohana Retsu's sea of ​​blood?

The answer is, of course, yes!

However, simply bringing over some ordinary Quincy is meaningless, just as Unohana Retsu analyzed before. Therefore, what Higashino Shuichi is pursuing is to allow his Quincy clone to temporarily return to his body and perfectly merge with him.

Generally speaking, this step definitely cannot be accomplished without decades of dedicated effort.

However, Higashino Shuichi found a way to experience it ahead of time.

In other words, by utilizing Aizen's Bankai ability to turn imagination into reality, he can treat this process as an ability to be realized and skip it directly.

To achieve this, Unohana Retsu must completely trust Higashino Shuichi's abilities, which are based on nothing but imagination, during the extremely short period of time between the Blood Sea's shutdown and recovery.

Therefore, Higashino Shuichi designed the preceding scenes.

Higashino Shuichi's goal from beginning to end has always been the same: to make Unohana Retsu believe from the bottom of her heart that no matter what outrageous things he, Higashino Shuichi, does next, she will not doubt that it is fake.

From the initial language guidance,

"Captain, your Bankai ability is indeed very strong, but don't forget, I'm not an ordinary Shinigami!"

From the subsequent powerful defeat of the Blood Sea's restrictions, to the appearance of the Quincy, and finally to the fusion of the Quincy's power into himself.

It can be said that Unohana Retsu fell into the cognitive trap that Higashino Shuichi had carefully woven for her step by step.

Now that all preparations are complete, Higashino Shuichi's eyes have become deep, his spiritual pressure characteristics have begun to change, and the Zanpakuto in his hand has also begun to change its form.

Using someone else to do the dirty work, Bankai, Dream Collapse!
At this moment, in front of Retsu Unohana, Shuichi Higashino finally revealed his fangs, which he had kept hidden for so long!
Meanwhile, in the present world, Kabuto Takuya, having found a reason to temporarily separate from Miyazaki Sakai Masato, who was heading towards the eastern border together, gently closed his eyes.

The power of the Quincy, the power of the Holy Symbol I, converged wildly within Shuichi Higashino.

When Higashino Shuichi opened his eyes again, they were filled with gray—the eyes of the Spirit King!

Even Retsu Unohana felt a jolt in her heart the moment those eyes were fixed on her.

"What kind of power is this?"

Unohana Retsu said incredulously.

Because she discovered that even though her Blood Sea ability had been fully restored after Higashino Shuichi had completely transformed himself, she still couldn't dispel Higashino Shuichi from this special state.

For Shuichi Higashino, this was only natural.
"This is the true power of the Quincy, which I call the Holy Script!"
As for now, Captain, you should be the first Shinigami to see me in this form.”

Countless spiritual pressures gathered around Higashino Shuichi, and the entire sea of ​​blood began to boil.

From Unohana Retsu's perspective, the world is nothing but a crimson sea of ​​blood, which is beyond her control and is converging on Higashino Shuichi's body!
No, to be more accurate, the current sea of ​​blood felt to Unohana Retsu more like an extension of Higashino Shuichi's body!
"A fictional future, a real present, the future is constructed!"
Captain, this is the Holy Letter C - Enforcement!

Higashino Shuichi's voice came from every direction of the sea of ​​blood.

Unohana Retsu was right. Now, the entire sea of ​​blood is part of Higashino Shuichi's body, and Higashino Shuichi is the sea of ​​blood!
Infinite evolution—this is the ability that Shuichi Higashino created from the future.

And this is precisely what Higashino Shuichi's Quincy clone couldn't do before.

The spiritual pressure of that clone was so low that it couldn't support this level of holy script power.

However, the Quincy power that has now merged with Higashino Shuichi's main body has no such worries.

With Higashino Shuichi's own powerful spiritual pressure as support, he was still able to briefly construct a few sacred characters.

Of course, this is far from the end. After using the Holy Symbol ability C to help himself completely break free from the limitations of Unohana Retsu's Bankai ability, Higashino Shuichi's next step is...
Between heaven and earth, countless tiny pillars of blood rose up, and Unohana Retsu, who was in the middle, was completely pierced through by these pillars of blood without any power to resist!

Sacred Script X - All Things Pervade!

"It's impossible to stop it." Blood spurted from Unohana Retsu's mouth; she couldn't believe what she had just witnessed.

She tried her best to stop the pillars of blood, but no matter what abilities she used, they were all easily defeated in front of these seemingly powerless pillars of blood.

"Captain, of course you can't stop it. After all, this is the power of the rules!"

Higashino Shuichi slowly approached Unohana Retsu's body, which was frozen in place by countless pillars of blood, and carefully placed his hand on the center of her chest.
"It's over, Captain!"

Higashino Shuichi spoke to Unohana Retsu in the gentlest tone.

Then, an extremely terrifying spiritual pressure gathered at the fingertips of Shuichi Higashino.
Holy Text Ability E - Critical Hit Activated!

At this moment, Retsu Unohana felt that she was only left with consciousness, and she had completely lost the connection with her body.

Beneath the burst of white light, there should only be dregs left, right?
No, it's possible that not even a trace will be left.
Unohana Retsu closed her eyes peacefully, dying in this way, which was undoubtedly the best ending for her.
However, Retsu Unohana, with her eyes closed, did not see her consciousness disappear.

Instead, I heard that familiar gentle voice in my ear.

"Now you owe me a life~"

Unohana Retsu opened her eyes and found Higashino Shuichi, whose body had been completely torn apart, standing in front of her.

Those gentle words came from Higashino Hideaki, whose body was reduced to just a head.

Holy Script Ability A: Complete Reversal!

Generally speaking, this is the strongest move used to counterattack the enemy.

However, for Shuichi Higashino, this move is also a top-notch technique used in conjunction with his abilities to save people.

"Shuichi, you..."

As the blood column receded, Retsu Unohana found herself able to move normally again, while Shuichi Higashino's body was rapidly regenerating.

"What? This battle might be one you're fighting with the mindset of certain death for you, but for me, it's not like that at all."

As they spoke, Higashino Shuichi's body had fully recovered.

Then, Higashino Shuichi came to Unohana Retsu and, in front of her, pulled off the captain's haori that Unohana had also recovered, exposing the scar below Unohana's collarbone.

Throughout the entire process, Retsu Unohana simply watched quietly without making any attempt to stop it. As far as she was concerned, she was now a defeated party, and Shuichi Higashino, as the victor, could do whatever he wanted to her.

But for some reason, the moment Higashino Shuichi pulled open her collar, she could clearly feel her heart beating faster.

What was she expecting?
Nothing happened.

Yes, it was just that Higashino Shuichi gently stroked below Unohana Retsu's collarbone with his warm right hand.

"Actually, I've wanted to say this for a long time: it's not a good look for you to have this scar here."

But I also know that in the past I didn't have the right to erase this scar for you, but now I think I should have that right.

Having said that, Higashino Shuichi did not linger, but instead removed his hand from under Unohana Retsu's collarbone.

And the scar that had followed Unohana Retsu for over a thousand years was completely removed from Unohana Retsu's body.

Unohana Retsu looked down, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but she didn't.

That scar was left on purpose to remind herself.

Therefore, normally speaking, ordinary treatments would not be able to remove that scar from her body.

unless
Retsu Unohana raised her head and looked at Shuichi Higashino.

“Is it strange?” Higashino Shuichi smiled. “During the ten years I disappeared from the present world, I found Kirinji Tenjiro.”

"That doesn't make sense. You're allowed to go to Kirin-ji Temple to learn the Way of Return just for a boy, but I, Higashino Shuichi, am not allowed to go to Kirin-ji Temple to learn the Way of Return just for someone else?"

At this moment, Retsu Unohana no longer knew how to answer in order to express her unease.

In the thousands of years since her birth, she had never felt her heart pounding so hard outside of battle.

"I"

Unohana Retsu uttered a single word, and then... she didn't know what to say next.

She felt that she had a lot to say, but also a lot of things she couldn't say.

However, what she couldn't say herself, Higashino Shuichi said for her.
"Look, Yachiru, today I have completely defeated you. So, from now on, you don't need to be torn anymore. Just focus on me and strive towards my goal."

Higashino Shuichi reached out and placed his hand on Unohana Retsu's long hair.

In that case, it's unlikely that anyone will be able to persuade Unohana Retsu to sacrifice her life for someone else in the future.

Retsu Unohana also reverted to her usual Yamato Nadeshiko demeanor, silently folding her hands in front of her and softly agreeing, "Mmm~"

For her now, before defeating Higashino Shuichi, it is enough for her heart to only have Higashino Shuichi in it.

Oh, right, this is for you~

With the Bankai deactivated and the sea of ​​blood receding, Higashino Shuichi suddenly remembered his previous preparations, took Unohana Retsu's small hand, and placed a gemstone in the latter's palm.

"This is?"

Unohana Retsu felt that he looked somewhat familiar.

"I left you this thing when I fled to the mortal world, but it seems you accidentally lost it. Now I have found it and I am entrusting it to you for safekeeping."

But this time, you mustn't lose it!

"I said with a smile," said Higashino Shuichi.

This was actually the Space Stone from the West Wing Bureau that he secretly searched Yamada Seinosuke's residence before going to the training ground.

This thing doesn't have much practical value to anyone now, but Higashino Shuichi thinks it's quite suitable as a souvenir to replace the scars of Unohana Retsu.

After all, Shuichi Higashino didn't want to leave another new scar on Retsu Unohana's body.

Perhaps Higashino Shuichi forgot that the scar wasn't necessary.
The true intentions behind this are probably only known to the two people involved.

"Don't worry, Shuichi-kun, this time I'll make sure it's well protected~"

Retsu Unohana took the gem, looked at the reflection of herself and Shuichi Higashino on it, and said gently.

(End of this chapter)