181 Chapter 181: Bankai
Chapter 181: Bankai
~Jack POV~
Huh?
Wandering inside the deep space again – no wait this is my mental mindscape.
I didn't activate my <Dream Training Image> but if not, then the only person that would be…
"Me."
Hearing that voice I immediately knew where I was now letting a small smirk escape my mouth turning around to the spirit of the Zanpakuto, "Hello again spirit. I take it this time around you find me worthy to know your name or…"
The spirit of the Zanpakuto finally reveals herself with red-like body mist covering herself with red eyes to match wielding her Shikai form and replies, "Of course it's time. Time to see if you can truly bring out the best you can to beat me to earn the right of my name. Your Bankai."
Raising an eyebrow at the spirit I began to take out my own Zanpakuto entering into Shikai form I respond to the spirit, "Sin. Before we begin can I finally ask why are we doing this now? Not to be rude but mildly curious."
The spirit remained silent before finally replying to me in an unrecognizable tone, "No. If I haven't you would reach a level where I won't pose a challenge. I just want to defeat you before you overpower me."
Smirking at that I understand.
Raising my weapon keeping my eyes on the spirit I have to subjugate the spirit before it can give me its name to activate Bankai.
Using this chance, I wonder if I can get a skill from the spirit of the Zanpakuto.
Might as, well right?
<Fusion>.
[Ding!]
[Notice target is higher level!]
[-Fusion Conditions-
Description: The [BLANK] has issued you a challenge to see if you are worthy of knowing thy name thus a fight must issue. You force the spirit to admit defeat by forcing it to reveal its name.]
Slowly steadily going up in my stance we both remained silent for a long while…
*WOOSH*
The first to make the move was the spirit rushing towards me while I began to breathe in slowly…
*CLANG*
Making one sweeping motion upward my blade met with the spirits creating sparks reacting in time for our blades and wills clash against each other with me standing on my own ground not giving the spirit an inch of moving me.
But that was when I saw a notification pop up while my HP took a few points of damage instead of the empty bar it was replaced with purple pinkish color making me wide eye seeing it.
[Ding!]
[You have been inflicted by the skill <Karmic Retribution>!]
[Notice poisoning won't heal ensuring the poison damage remains on the soul!]
[You feel your sins crawling on your back…]
*Shiver*
Yup, I definitely have my sins crawling on my back alright, but I won't lose like this.
Nope.
It's only just the beginning now!
Whew…
<Total Breathing Concentration>.
<Total Concentration: Constant>.
*SHING*
*BOOM*
*CLANG*
*BOOM*
*SHING*
*BOOM*
*CLANG*
*BOOM*
My eyes immediately followed each and every strike perfectly without fail viewing the slightest movements from the spirit and immediately reacting accordingly viewing the spirit followed with each strike parrying or blocking at super speeds.
Each blade strike to the other would clash a shockwave with each strike we have done to each other. Each strike of soul-based swords creates shockwaves inside my mindscape with a simple meaning with each intent to kill one another.
Honestly, if I were to put it in simple terms.
*SHING*
*BOOM*
*CLANG*
The beauty of fights.
*SHING*
*BOOM*
*CLANG*
Fights of dominance.
Fight of purpose.
*SHING*
*BOOM*
*CLANG*
Yet this is a fight to the death of us.
Death to me equals freedom of the Spirit.
But the death for the spirit would be complete subjugation to me like a slave.
With the spirit <Karmic Retribution> putting me on edge I can't just casually keep attacking her like this.
No, I need to change the strategy of attacking the spirit soon.
In the end, we settled for fighting to our heart's content with nothing to worry about but seeing who wins and who loses.
It's thanks to <Transparent World> I can view things in slow motion along with the other skills fighting with skills that will impress the spirit wanting this fight to happen.
The excitement like this is something I kind of miss while we continue our dance.
What followed next was each of us releasing a fury of sword strikes each intending to end in one blow or weaken one of us to ensure that we don't lose our ground but I'm doing this at the base with the new skills I finally unlocked.
After my clones trained for a certain time, I finally unlocked these two skills with me training my <Breathing> skill to unlock the maximum effort needed to be at my strongest in base form with these two at the cost of breathing air.
Skill List.
----
<Total Breathing Concentration> (Active) Lv. MAX
Description: This is an advanced and esoteric breathing technique where a user inhales the maximum amount of oxygen within a specific breath pattern to raise their physical and mental prowess to their utmost limits. The effects include a plethora of enhanced physical and mental abilities, like superhuman physical characteristics (i.e. strength, speed, stamina, durability, and agility), faster thought processes, maximizing concentration, and hyper-information processing.
-30% Increase to base stats when breathing.
<Total Concentration: Constant> (Active) Lv. MAX
Description: With the skill <Total Breathing Concentration> mastery covering your <Breathing> the skill <Total Concentration Breathing> once you unlock the mastery of breathing through training. This state during the morning, noon, and night, and even while asleep that advanced Demon Slayers, such as the Hashira, can constantly maintain. There is an immense difference in strength, speed, and stamina between someone who can maintain Total Concentration Breathing at all times and someone who cannot.
-20% Increase to base stats when breathing.
<Transparent World> (Active) Lv. MAX
Description: The <Transparent World> can only be unlocked when the user has the skills <Total Breathing Concentration> and <Total Concentration: Constant>. The <Transparent World> is utilize a special form of ocular extrasensory perception that alters their vision, allowing them to perceive other living beings as if they were transparent, only being able to see the inner workings of their bodies.
Most notably, users are able to perceive the flow of blood, breathing, muscular contractions, and joint movements of the creature they are looking at. Potentially, one can use the Transparent World's power to see inside an enemy's body as a way to predict and evade their opponent's attacks, as well as to find openings for their own strikes.
Additionally, the user is able to perceive the world around them as if it was in slow-motion, thus dramatically increasing their movement speed and reflexes.
----
*SHING*
*BOOM*
*CLANG*
Finally backing off away from our sword clash I immediately released a <Soul Energy Cutting> followed by <Orders> commanding the spirit, "Pause!"
Frozen immediately paused I slashed the <Soul Energy Cutting> out at the spirit remaining in an inanimate state with the flying slash attack made an impact on the spirit.
*BOOOM*
An explosion soon appeared after it made contact with the spirit taking huge damage while I use <Observe> to see where the spirit was trying to find out where it's located now since the explosion also provided a smokescreen cover.
…
*Woosh*
Time for long range.
Seeing the smokescreen change a certain direction with <Observe> confirming that it indeed went there I rushed in running towards where the spirit was with my free hand holding a <Aura Ball> already forming in my hand launching at where the spirit went.
*PEW*
*PEW*
*PEW*
*SWOOSH*
All three of them were launched in the direction and soon cut apart in the middle with a clean cut making me narrow my eyes readying a parry stance as the spirit came rushing in already putting his sword strike in a downward strike.
*CLANG*
Our eyes met with the spirit grinning happily while I focus more on the fight as I try to make the spirit of the Zanpaukto submit to me while I waved my sword away clashing with the spirit's own Shikai forcing it off.
Swept away from my sword swing the spirit landed on the floor of the mindscape releasing out its own <Spiritual Pressure> with me following it in kind.
*CLANG*
The clashes of <Spiritual Pressure> collided with the atmosphere here becoming tense and harder to view with someone to push me to my limits for a change of pace – shit!
In one quick motion of its sword swing, the spirit used its own <Soul Energy Cutting> directed at me with me using my Zanpakuto to block the incoming attack using <Moonslice> to absorb the spiritual energy into my soul.
*Shiii*
Argh…!
Feeling the pressure of the attack being absorbed to the <Moonslice> I swept around and returned the attack back to sender adding more of my own Aura infused to deal more damage to the spirit.
*Shing*
*Woosh*
Flying towards the spirit began to try to evade the oncoming attack while I stopped it in its tracks using <Aura Trapping> keeping it stuck in place while I throw everything I have at it while I can.
*Brrr*
*Shiii*
The fire soon appeared by my side using my <Fire Manipulation> creating a fireball while using <Glyphs> on the floors and in front of me inside my mindscape launching it into the glyphs and accelerating the fireball towards the spirit forcing it to stay in place.
"Whew…"
Taking a deep breath and taking a careful view of the spirit with <Transparent World> to view any noticeable twitches or reactions it would take I began to turn to a quick slash stance readying to end it with one blow…
*Shiii*
<Glyphs> appeared on the floor along with me ready to use <Petal Burst> to dash forward ending it in one hit.
The spirit soon caught on to what I was doing while narrowing its eyes in my direction it began instead of running began to go straight forward to the oncoming <Soul Energy Cutting> slash and incoming fireball with its own power.
I don't like that look when the bad guy has the means to counter me.
Before I could even think anything the spirit soon began to smile as it began to talk to me while releasing a terrifying amount of spiritual energy from it as it spoke, "Very well Human. You have done well to impress me and grow to a point where I find you worthy of my attention to making me do the first move. Survive this attack and I'm all yours!"
Feeling a shiver what it meant she first began to chant with each word described to contain an even higher power that spoke out of its mouth, "Sin is Life. Life in Sin. In human nature, the seven deadly sins are always present. Life is accompanied by Sin. Sin is what brings things to Life. But none is equal to or greater than the great beyond in the sky and yet falls down… for despite all of Sin and Life they all play their parts… For the very goal of Life is Death."
Feeling that all my instincts are telling me immediately I tried to defend what happens next from the sheer pressure I'm feeling from the attack the spirit began to word out one word that changed her Shihai blade, "Bankai. Come forth the Goal of Life is the End. Muramasa!"
With one single slash of the blade coming out in a form of a single slash cut the air into absolutely nothing followed by a powerful black aura released from it while I quickly use <Fate's Hand> to escape this calamity coming!
Rolling the die, it immediately rolled…
[Ding!]
[Error has occurred?!!]
[The FATE and LUCK have been severed!]
[LUCK Stats and LUCK Skills have been temporarily cut off leaving the user for 1 LUCK.]
[FATE-related skills have been temporarily cut off!]
Gazing my eyes on the notification oncoming attacking coming head I will die!
And somehow that attack I just know somehow cut off my connection to my LUCK and FATE somehow but -- no that doesn't matter surviving does!
Wait…
"<Invulnerability>!"
*SHIII*
Suddenly my Aura changed into a bright royal blue color as I let the attack of the spirit hit me dead on while I managed to still move with few seconds remaining as everything around me soon died out.
*BOOOM*
/////
I was blinded by a white explosion soon after but I still remained thanks to my skill but everything else...
Not so much.
Nothing even remained anymore except for me and the spirit lying down on the floor.
When the attack hit my own <Soul Energy Cutting> slash it simply… well died. It vanished nothing remains.
Gazing down even the <Glyphs> and fireball I had turned into nothing like something snuffed it out completely. The only reason why I have everything on me is that my Aura is also coated on my clothes and weapons becoming invulnerable.
*Thud*
Hearing the thud sound of someone falling I see the spirit fall down defeated with a content smile on its face as it spoke out to me, "Hehe… Have to admit I thought I got you there with that one attack. But yet again it seems like you lucked out of that one narrowly. Honestly, I pity any enemies that try to control or kill you now."
Going towards the spirit sitting down facing it eye to eye with a frown on my face as I talked to it, "Yeah… not cool launching a literal instant kill attack like that. But how did it make me feel fear of dying when I have immortality? And how did you cut me off from my LUCK stat and Fate?"
A chuckle escaped the spirit's mouth beginning to fade away giving me her name, "Hahaha. Oh, I don't know you figure it out, wise guy. My true name is Muramasa but call me Mura for short. But don't worry your precious LUCK and Fate abilities will return to normal again when you leave the mindscape so don't concern yourself with much."
[Ding!]
[-You have met the conditions-]
[-Which skill would you like to copy from Muramasa-
-All of Life is Death Lv.1
-Karmic Retribution Lv.1
-Master Sword Arts Lv.1
….]
[Ding!]
[You have successfully copied the skill <Karmic Retribution>!]
Skill list.
----
<Karmic Retribution> (Active) Lv.1/100 Exp: 0.0%
Description: This skill can be actively used on those who are considered 'evil' feeling the sins crawling on their backs with this special poison inflicting them on the very soul enforcing them to feel the guilt they weigh quite literally. Prolonged exposure will make the target lose HP making them feel extreme levels of responsibility or coldness for their sins.
-HP drain damage is equal to the level of this skill.
----
Like that Mura soon turned into particles entering into my Zanpakuto receiving information that I managed to conquer it.
[Ding!]
[You have fully unlocked your Zanpakuto to Bankai Level!]
[When the use of Bankai HP and AP will multiply with the power of 10!]
Smirking at that holding my Zanpakuto in my mindscape I began to recite the way Mura said to bring out my Bankai, "Bankai. Come forth the Goal of Life is the End. Muramasa!"
*Shiii*
Soon enough my blade transformed into its Bankai form as the blade changed with the red heat that it had originally now fully encompassed the katana form of the sword of bright burning magma-like substance while the metal portions held it on straight.
Still, I wonder what Mura did to cut off my own stats like it was nothing making me very cautious of what my own Bankai can do I do admire the beauty of the sword though.
No not burning magma more like burning spiritual energy that feels like it wants to cut down something and can do it.
<Observe>.
[Item: Bankai Form Muramasa
Description: After conquering the Spirit of the Zanpakuto Muramasa this Zanpakuto will grant its wielder a 10x multiplier to all of the target's HP and AP.
This Zanpaukto's main ability is that it allows the user to sever and kill those who cannot be killed and cut things that can't not be cut ignoring the concept of Cause and Effect entirely.]
Reading the description, I can now how Mura 'cut' me off of my own 'stats' entirely because this weapon is busted as hell. Although I do see this is going to be a very powerful weapon in my hands and all that hard work is finally paying off.
Thanks, Mura.
[Ding]
[The Quest is created.]
-----
Destiny Quest: Vytal Festival
Description: The Vytal Festival is an international festival held every two years in one of the Kingdoms of Remnant in celebration of the end of the Great War. During the festival, the various cultures of the world are celebrated with dances, parades, and a combat tournament.
Objective: Make sure you and Team JNPR become the winners of this Vytal Festival
Rewards: Stat Points +10, 3000 EXP, and Skill Card: Random.
Please choose the following rewards:
-Blessed Chest Box
-Cursed Chest Box
Failure: None.
-----
Blinking a bit at this guess there is no point avoiding it now.
The end game is soon upon me long enough.
Time to change the plot and prepare for winter.
With my new power, I will be sure to do the best I can like there never was.
