Marvel With Zanpakutou

Chapter 777: The Clash of Paths

This woman... she still remembered him!

Before Lord could ponder further, he saw Byakuya Kuchiki smile faintly, then slowly undressed right before him.

Yes... he wasn’t mistaken.

And this wasn’t a delusion caused by being single for too long upon seeing an attractive person—it was a genuine reality!

Her slender fingers tugged at the black collar, gradually slipping down from her rounded, fair shoulders, revealing her exquisite collarbone and skin to the air, exposed in front of Lord, whose nostrils flared slightly as if catching a scent of a unique, fragrant aroma in the air.

The black outer garment continued to fall.

Between her sacred bosom, like the East African Rift, an abyssal depth showed a hint of slick, fair radiance, inevitably provoking infinite daydreams.

"Let us... begin."

Byakuya’s cheeks flushed a faint red, her rosy hue slightly feverish as if she had applied fine rouge, her pearly teeth lightly biting her red lip as she breathed softly, "Pleasure me once more, then let us entwine until death."

Could it be... a confession?

Just as the thought appeared, the Lord immediately extinguished it.

No, no, no... not!

If any other woman had said this, it would definitely be a confession, but coming from Byakuya Kuchiki, it was absolutely not a confession, and he’d better turn around and run.

This woman... is a maniac!

Born for battle and to enjoy the pleasures of death and combat, how could she possibly confess?

Lord shook his head vigorously, suppressing the spreading thoughts, and he couldn’t dare to look at Byakuya any longer. He backed up several steps and waved his hand, "Um... Byakuya, could you calm down a bit, please?"

He admitted.

There was a moment when he was excited, or somewhat agitated, upon seeing Byakuya Kuchiki... but the memories of the brutal battle last time quickly doused that fire.

Cherish life, and stay away from Lady Byakuya.

This was one of the ’Ten Absolute Do Nots’ long circulated in the Soul Society, which included other prohibitions like pulling on the beard of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, breaking the mask of Sajin Komamura, mentioning his wife in front of Tōsen Kaname, flirting with Rangiku Matsumoto, hurting Rukia in front of Byakuya Kuchiki, etc.

By the way, the last Shinigami who confessed to Byakuya Kuchiki was said to have been sent to the Maggot’s Nest, the prison where Mayuri Kurotsuchi was once held.

Watching Lord tremble with fear, Byakuya’s dark eyes shimmered with infinite warmth, and eventually, she smiled warmly: "I’m quite calm now, don’t you want to..."

"No, I don’t want to!" Lord interrupted her abruptly.

What a joke; although his strength was no longer what it once was, and he no longer feared Byakuya Kuchiki, he did not want to engage in another battle with her.

"Why not?"

Byakuya quietly looked at him, her eyes burning hot: "Don’t you feel... the call of the sword in your hand, longing to utterly defeat the opponent, to take the sole title of ’Sword Eight’?"

"No, I don’t feel that."

Lord frowned and shook his head decisively: "What I pursue has never been about becoming the ’Sword Eight,’ nor is it about seeking battles to wield my sword,"

"But... you defeated me."

Byakuya slowly approached him, her slender fingers reaching out, pressing against Lord’s chest, feeling his heartbeat: "I can feel it; your swordsmanship surpasses mine; it craves an enemy."

"A sword is an instrument of killing."

"Those of us who master the sword are ghosts skilled in this craft on this world; all we can do is demonstrate it fully in combat. Only by defeating a formidable enemy, bathing in their blood, can we satisfy our thirsty hearts, isn’t that right?"

Byakuya hugged him tightly as if trying to merge into him, listening to his vigorous heartbeat, and spoke softly: "When I first met you, I saw your potential, that unmatched, astonishing growth rate, as if born for the sword."

"But at that time, you were deliberately suppressing your fighting instincts, fighting me with a sheathed sword."

Lord wanted to explain but was silenced by Byakuya’s hand on his lips.

"For a swordsman, that is a disgrace." Byakuya’s exquisite face lifted, her dark eyes showing a hint of sadness: "So all I can do is help you release your instincts and draw the sword from its sheath."

"No... that’s not what I want."

Lord, slightly unable to bear it, broke free from Byakuya’s embrace, speaking righteously: "I’ll repeat it, my sword does not exist for battle, the path I seek... is not the so-called path of the sword, the greatest strength, or the Sword Eight, these empty names, they mean nothing to me."

He understood Byakuya’s meaning.

Characters summoned by the system, though unquestionably loyal, each had a different understanding of loyalty.

In Byakuya Kuchiki’s eyes, her way of being loyal was to sacrifice herself like firewood, offering herself in fierce combat.

In the fierce battle, to unleash the bound king’s instincts, to find the ’conviction’ to pursue the path of the strongest.

But unfortunately... Byakuya misunderstood.

All along, what the Lord pursued was not the title of the strongest, so he would not be swayed by battle instincts.

The two looked at each other for a long time.

Both were firm in their positions, each believing the other was wrong.

"Is that so?"

Byakuya Kuchiki’s gaze lingered, and she observed him closely with a tempting smile: "Since we cannot persuade each other, why not use our swords to prove who is right?"

After all the talk, it comes down to this.

Fists, after all, are the most significant reason!

To convince by reason, either theoretical or physical, this iron rule is the most practical method no matter where.

After going around in circles, it still comes to a fight.

Lord looked at Byakuya Kuchiki and suddenly felt a headache: "I’m telling you in advance, this time, I won’t limit myself to swordsmanship."

This time, he planned to use the most direct method to destroy Byakuya’s beliefs completely completely.