Chapter 39: Two Sides Of The Same Coin.

Retsu suddenly opens her eyes and found herself in a familiar place. She is in a desert-like world where swirling clouds become a common sight. Standing and walking among the dead sand, she wondered why the hollowfication process would bring her into Zanpakuto's inner world, barren and empty land.

The fuscous-brown desert as far as the eye could see. She had seen neither man nor beast in it. It was the most desolate and lonesome environment she had ever been in—a castaway on a sea of sand. The monotony of this parched wilderness was challenging to explain. It was a crucible of death, a bone-dry basin of vastness and death. As far as the eye could see, everything was roasted and sautéed with the same intensity. It was different from Yun Che's inner world, but it was her world nonetheless.

Swirling clouds in the distance form gigantic twister that sucks the sand into the heavens. Retsu swore the cloud was shaped just like her Shikai Minazuki. The monster of a cloud slowly sucks the sand from the desert as the sun in her world forms a gigantic eye on it. It was looking straight at her.

This place was Minazuki's world or her world.

As she walks, she felt a massive amount of reaitsu pressuring her. However, Yun Che taught her to use the Absolute Suppression skill, and she was immune to pressure. Even though she's resistant, this pressure shows her this is not a good sign.

"(Ara….. It looks like you finally show yourself here. Unohana Retsu.)" A Japanese voice echoes in her inner world, speaking in a familiar language. It judging how it resonates, this is the hollow she was about to fight.

Suddenly, a massive red reaitsu burst from the desert sand, causing Retsu to fall to her knees. It swelled uncontrollably as two giant yellow eyes slowly formed with black vertical pupils staring her down like a lowly ant.

Slowly getting up, she regained her composure before asking with a severe expression. "(Who are you?)"

Slowly accustomed to the new world's language, the voice replied, "Hoooo, you did not even remember me? Why am I not surprised? I am why you were known as the vile demoness in your previous world. You were rampaging using my name your previous life and unaware that I exist in your body?"

"What a naïve woman you are." The giant yellow eyes mocked her with their echoing voice.

Retsu held her Zanpakuto before glaring back at the yellow eyes. "Whoever you are, the previous me isn't the same. My sole existence and my reason are only for my young master. Now I ask you again. Who are you?"

The giant pair of eyes explode and form an enormous amount of reaitsu. It slowly compressed itself into a small female body roughly the same size as Retsu begins its body from the feet to the head.

The figure slowly forms the same clothes as she is now, but instead of the white haori Yun Che gave her, this figure is wearing a dark red haori with black flame patterns at its end. The figure's head had fox-like ears instead of natural ears. Her hair was longer than her waist until it reached the floor but slowly floated by the massive amount of reaitsu she emitted. The most surprising part, this figure had tails. It was not one but ten big and long tails behind her. Instead of looking like an angel, this one looked like a demon.

What disturbed her the most was her face was donned with an Inari Kitsune mask. The red tribal pattern covers the mask's eyes with a perfect mirror image from left to right. On its forehead, two inverse magatama-like patterns in the middle and one flame pattern above each of the eyes. The mask has two colours, red and black—the black pattern trails from the upper corner of the eyes until the edge of the lower ears.

Two red straps with yellow bells were tied on the mask's left and right sides. Only the straps aren't made from cloth. It was made from blood.

Solidified blood.

Retsu kept her guard up as she saw two yellow eyes staring at her with killing intent. She never felt so much power come from a figure before.

"It is nice to see you again… Unohana Retsu…" The figure spoke while flaring her demonic aura. Retsu immediately went up her guard as she kept silent. How in the world is this powerful figure entering her inner world? Is this the hollow she was supposed to face?

She was not facing a hollow. She was facing a monster.

"Don't tell me you're that scared. Perhaps this would ease your fear." The figure slowly removes her hollow mask before showing her face to Retsu. The latter couldn't believe the eyes as she was not a figure she was not familiar with.

She is her. The spitting image of her. Only cruel and vile.

Retsu was shocked to the core. "You're me?"

"Hmm…hmmm… Look at you, after one thousand years of existing together. You didn't know I exist in your body if you want to know. Unohana Retsu. I am you..." The figure spoke before opening up the cleavage on her chest and Retsu's eyes turned toward it.

A scar.

It was a hideous scar on her cleavage. It was just like Yun Che described how Zaraki Kenpachi wounded her in her previous life. The scar that became a reminder of who she was. She was grateful that it disappeared once she was reincarnated into this new world.

However, it doesn't change the fact that the past is now alive in front of her.

Very much alive.

"I am your true self. I am the one who shaped you into who you were back then—the past you refused to remember. I am you. The other you. Unohana Yachiru." She emits a sinister aura showing off her might to Retsu.

"Impossible, no… I don't know what you are talking about. I left everything behind. I am not a Kenpachi anymore." Retsu denied everything as she refused to remember who she was.

Yachiru grabs the reaitsu aura around her before solidifying it into a blood sword. Then, she instantly flew towards Retsu, whose sword was drawn early before smashing it above the latter. Retsu could feel the heaviness of the strength this hollow of hers possessed—more like the power of the former her had.

Yachiru gave a sinister laugh as she was amused with her new self as she still denied her. "You're really that naive? How stupid can you get? You were one of the special people birthed in that world. You have the absolute slaughter and demonic aura. You kill for a thousand years, creating mountains after mountains of corpses. That continuous killing sparks pleasure in you, and you give birth to me. However, you could control these powers and exist with your good side back then. That good side of yours, you went soft after losing that title, and I am disgusted with you. Back then, I was just a hidden power in your body and will never be able to control you."

She lowers her face before revealing another sinister smile. She extends her right hand before a massive reaitsu, slowly empowering her sword from before. She suddenly jumped towards Retsu at high speed, attempting to slash her again. Retsu, however, quickly draws her sword and clashes with Yachiru. The clash was strong enough to destroy the mountain and push Retsu back. Her young master was right. This hollow of hers is indeed more substantial.

"Thanks to that poor soul entering your body, I devoured it and form my soul. I can say not bad, that soul has a lot of power, but that power is now mine. The power of a Ten-Tailed Demon Fox. Ufufufufu…. Whatever you drink before, my gratitude for doing so. No wonder I had these ears and tails. Now that I have these combined powers from my own and that fox, no matter. I will obliterate your soul and take your body for my own." Yachiru formed some energy ball in her hand before tossing it toward Retsu. She avoided it as expected but was caught in the massive explosion it caused.

Retsu was tossed towards the side as her clothes became ragged. She tossed her haori aside as she slowly stood up, using her sword as support. She admits she was not strong enough to fight her former self physically. She must have absolute willpower to resist its power. She regained her composure once more and confronted Yachiru.

"Ara… you're still alive. Persistent, aren't you?" Yachiru floated above her as she shadowed her new twin with ten massive tails.

"Even if I was that vile, I am now reborn with a new life. It doesn't matter if you are the manifestation of my inner hollow or a demon fox. I will subdue you and control your powers." Retsu controls the air around her inner world and proceeds to heal her injuries.

"Let's see if you had the capabilities then." Yachiru proceeds to attack Retsu as brutally as she can. Her previous lousy habit of fighting was toying with her opponent. She wanted to torture Retsu before devouring her soul and body. Retsu, on the other hand, was only playing defensively. She continued to absorb the air around her to heal her injuries. However, she couldn't keep this on for much longer.

"Now, hand over your body."

"I refuse. Yuuki-san is waiting for me. I am not going to lose here."

"Well then, killing you might be the best. I was going to kill you anyway."

"Why? Why do you despise me so much?" She asked Yachiru.

"Zaraki Kenpachi, remember him? Of course, you don't." Yachiru ceased her attacks, looking at her poor condition. "Hmph, before this, you never bow down to others. You killed and carved the path of slaughter back then. However, it was just a match. You lost that match, and you immediately went soft. Thousands of years of accumulated power were lost just like that. However, what I despised the most was your death caused by the same opponent you lost in the first place."

"When you reincarnated into this new world from the depths of hell. You lost your blood lust. If you still had it, you would reign this world as you please. That's why I despised you. That's why you died back then. I will kill you this time and reign the world as I please." She increased her powers once more, causing an ultimate slash toward Retsu. She was sent flying and crashed into a nearby mountain. She slowly emerges from the destroyed mountain soaked in blood and heals herself again.

Retsu used all her knowledge and skills to fight Yachiru once more. However, she didn't remember anything from her previous world, but Yachiru remembered every detail. She was like a novice against a master.

"Looks like I played with you long enough. It's about time we end this." Using her massive reaitsu, she slowly formed a massive reaitsu fox arm and extended it towards Retsu, grabbing her swiftly. Pulling her towards her face, and said, "After I kill you, I will kill that young master and that friend of yours. Let's see how I will reign the world after that."

Retsu suddenly went quiet. Suddenly, Yachiru felt a massive amount of power come from Retsu herself. She saw that Retsu's right eye was slowly turning red, and her left eye was slowly turning blue. She tried to squish her again, but her reaitsu arm was slowly disintegrating and releasing the powered-up Retsu.

[Ding…. Activating Spirit of Yin and Yang.]

Retsu felt that she was slowly regaining her former self. She was one of the people born with unique reaitsu in their bodies. The reaitsu spirit of Yin and Yang. The one who can harness power from two sides of the world's balance.

Day and Night.

Good and Evil.

Angels and Demons.

Light and Dark.

Two sides of the same coin that can never coexist with one another. There is a legend that there lives a soul that can harness the two powers as one. The one that can negate the karma of the world itself. Retsu's Yang side had been growing for one thousand years, and the power was halted when she lost that match. She took a few more years to develop her Yin side until she succumbed to her death in the final game of her previous life. The Spirit of Yin and Yang's potential was halted. Never to be discovered and developed.

Until now…..

A blueish aura went haywire around Retsu, slowly burning the foul reaitsu aura from Yachiru's reaitsu arm. She lets her opponent go as Retsu pulls the powers from her Yin side. Yachiru was about to stop what Retsu intended to do, but another thing happened. The world around them started to change to red as red reaitsu began forming in the skies of the inner world. The monster cloud from before forms a massive tornado before pulling the surrounding crimson aura within the inner world and concentrating it toward Retsu.

"This is…." Yachiru recognized the crimson reaitsu. It came from Retsu's original power. The power she had for one thousand years in her lifetime. Her vile Yang aura. Yachiru widened her eyes as the blueish aura and the crimson didn't fight with one another. It flows together as one single river into Retsu's body. Now that her Yin and Yang are balanced, she can combine their powers to flow.

"The two sides of the same coin merging as one. Unohana Retsu… I never knew…." Yachiru widened her eyes as a figure slowly formed itself next to Retsu. It slowly takes on a physical manifestation of a slim humanoid figure covered in bandages and wearing a very long light green hood. The hood was solid black as if infinite darkness was inside it.

"You…." Yachiru widens her eyes. The Zanpakuto didn't even assist them despite having the same rights to its powers. It finally chose the side it wanted to be with its original master.

"Minazuki…." Retsu once more slowly stood up and looked at Yachiru with a rampaging bluish and crimson aura swirling around her. This power is much stronger than Yachiru herself. She slowly opened her eyes, revealing glowing crimson and light blue pupils. Her braided hair undoes itself before slowly floating using her aura.

"You can kill, insult, humiliate, or torture me as you please, but…. You will never touch him." She raised her hand, and her inner world slowly turned from a peaceful and healing world into a red blood world with a demonic aura. Minazuki transformed into its sword form as Retsu held the hilt. She grabs the blade by the hilt with her left hand before sliding them to the end of the sword covering it with her blood.

She spoke with her sinister tone. "Bankai…"

The sword slowly transformed into a short blade dripping with her blood. In her hand, a black-red sword was slowly forming into shape, and she was holding a sinister sword with a red lining forming on it. The smell of blood fills the air as Retsu's power skyrockets toward the heavens.

"Minazuki (All Things End)"

Yachiru was shocked, and a small smile slowly formed in her mouth. "She's back, and her former self is back. This time she is way stronger than her previous life." She was happy and excited because her former host was transforming into a being even more potent than her previous life. One thing that puzzles her is that her expression wasn't an expression of blood lust. It was the expression of pure determination.

"This might be fun" She clutched her sword before attacking Retsu.

Retsu now holds her bankai and feels she could control the entire world. She proceeds to fight Yachiru once more. Clashes and slashes were heard across the inner world as Retsu and Yachiru clashed to fight for control of Retsu's body.

Shinigami versus Hollow.

Zanpakuto versus Ten-Tailed Demon Fox.

In the real world, Retsu barely grasped the flash step as she could only use a few steps at a time, but now, she instantly became an expert, as if the flash step was embedded in her brain. Yachiru increased her speed before landing a clean hit on Retsu, and the latter didn't flinch despite the blade causing a massive injury on her shoulder. The mysterious Yin Yang energy instantly restores her injuries without leaving any scars. Retsu pulls a deep breath before engaging Yachiru once more.

They destroyed most of the inner world by now. However, Retsu's attacks are far more potent than Yachiru's. Retsu charged up her sword before releasing it with both her hands. She builds up energy using her new powers before releasing a bluish-red blood energy slash toward the shadow of her former self. The Slash was so powerful that it devoured Yachiru sending her flying into the ground and causing a crater to appear where she landed.

Yachiru blasts out of the crater in a sorry state before landing right in front of Retsu. Both of them showed no remorse before pointing their sword toward each other.

Smiling.

"It is about time we end this." Retsu slowly said while pointing her sword at her former shadow. Yachiru stabbed her sword to the ground before slowly bringing it to her left side. She smiled sinisterly and said, "Indeed, the last one standing wins."

They stared at each other before boosting their energy to end with this final attack. Retsu and Yachiru fly towards each other with massive reaitsu on their sword.

Their swords pointed at each other as they went full speed with the intent to kill.

"BOOM"

Both energies clash, forming a giant ball of destructive power. The point then explodes, creating an even more enormous crater in the inner world. The blast lasted for several moments before slowly dissipating, making a large amount of smoke and leaving a large hole in the middle.

In the middle of the crater, Retsu was opposite Yachiru, and the clashed sword they were holding was the only one separating them.

Suddenly, Yachiru's sword snapped into two, and half of the blade fell to the ground. Lost her full strength, she fell onto her knees and looked at Retsu with a satisfied smile.

Pointing her blade towards Yachiru's neck. Retsu gave a wordless order to have her stand down. Yachiru gets the message before tossing her broken blade away. "It was a brilliant fight, and you regained your former glory. More like even better glory. Now do what you have to do. Finish me." Yachiru closed her eyes to hope for the end, but she felt something soft on her chest instead of feeling her life taken from her.

"Wha…." She was shocked because Retsu was hugging her. She said, "I know you hate me for losing in the past. Now it's different. I was probably fighting for myself and my pride back then. I didn't have an actual goal at all. All I did was just following orders. Now, I have a new life and my young master. He once said that if the power is used to protect, a greater power will emerge. I couldn't end your life because you are part of me: my soul and my twin sister. The other side of myself. Something inside me told me that you are not a bad person. You just wanted me to become stronger to bow to the world, but I became soft, causing your hatred against me."

"You…." Yachiru was quite shocked by this development. She immediately gives up to turn her into a killing maniac. She had her Yin side. Retsu spared her because of it.

"Are you not going to kill me? You even called me sister?" She hesitates.

"That goes without saying." She said, slowly undoing her bankai, transforming the slaughter world back into the beautiful healing world. She slowly helps Yachiru to stand up and hold both of her hands.

Then, giving her an innocent smile. "I won't cast my previous life aside. I am you, and you are me. I am Yachiru, but I am also Retsu. I cannot run from what I am anymore. I am going to embrace it. I will become the strongest not for my pride but to protect the ones I love. I am asking you to fight with me."

Giving her a smile of her own, Yachiru bowed her head slightly. "Then, I am more than willing to serve you again, Sister. Truth be told. This power of mine is not my full power, though. If I used my full power from the beginning, your body would explode, killing me instantly." She revealed her secret to her. It means she could defeat her initially but chose not to because the powers can also endanger her life.

"So.. you.." Retsu was shocked.

"Hmm, I was returning you to your full potential. I was hoping to defeat you with what powers I could control, but I never expected that your powers would be even stronger than that. You are more than worthy to control me once more. My powers are your powers as well, sister." She said before manifesting a hollow fox mask on Retsu's face. The mask looked just like Yachiru's Inari Kitsune's mask. She even gave her a half-hollow mask with solidified blood threads and bells. The half mask covers her eyes and nose but not her mouth. A different mask compared to Yun Che's hollow mask.

It carries similar properties to Yun Che's mask. The half mask increased her strength by a realm, while her full mask increased it by two realms. The mask manifestation causes her ears to transform into fox-like ears, and she grows a tail behind her, officially turning her into a Visored.

"Your cultivation and body are not strong enough to use my power yet. This mask enables you to use only a tail's worth of strength and power. In other words, it only increases your strength by two realms above your current cultivation."

"Yachiru, I…." Retsu wanted to thank Yachiru for her gift.

"Save it, as long as you're alive. I will always support you." She said while moving towards her back.

"If you want, I could give you back your memories. Your previous life's memories. You can learn to wield your powers as you once were." Yachiru offered. Retsu widens her eyes. If she accepts, she'll have her precious memories. She'll become the Yachiru she once was. An expert in Kido, martial arts and mastery of her Zanpakuto- Minazuki. If she did, who knows what would happen to her new feelings.

Retsu considers it momentarily before she smiles as she makes up her mind. "I have a new life. I don't need my old memories anymore. I wish to fill my current memories with my loved ones, including you. You will be Yachiru Unohana, while I wish to become Retsu Unohana. Yachiru Unohana will become my power from within. Besides, I don't want to lose my new feelings for Yuuki-san." Retsu decided to let go of her past and forge a new future here. She won't be tied up anymore.

"I see, for him. You're willing to let go of who you were and focused on becoming who you are." Yachiru smiled for once. Her ears perked up as she had a teasing smile. "One more thing,"

*smack

"Eeeep" Retsu jumped a little as Yachiru spanked her butt.

"If you love him, you should start making a move. I know you are willing to share him but show him who is the main girl." Retsu suddenly blushed when she said that. She barely did anything except hugging and talking. If she goes beyond that, that's…..

"Mouu, why don't you use these weapons of yours? They aren't for show, you know." Yachiru increased her attacks by grabbing Retsu's breasts from behind, causing her to squeal in embarrassment.

Letting her go, Retsu's brain got fried and overheated by the thought. This new her is literally a shy bomb in front of this Yuuki of hers. "Cheee, She's hopeless." Yachiru thought. She whispered to her again, "If you're not making a move. I will do it for you. I can even bed him for you~~~" However, Retsu overheated herself by the thought that she could not respond.

"No… Young master Yuuki is… is.. mine to bed." She rejected her offer as she stuttered with embarrassment.

"Retsu, our minds and senses are linked with each other. I learned what you learned, and I feel what you felt. If you love him, then I loved him as well. So bear in mind that when you mate with him, he'll also mate with me." Yachiru spoke in a sultry tone causing Retsu to blush when she heard the word 'mate.'

"Pfff... This girl is enjoyable to tease. Never knew that the angelic demon is shy about finding mates." She said internally.

"Now run along. Make sure Yuuki-san gets some of this." Yachiru taps Retsu's butt, causing the latter to jump again. Those fox ears and tail show that she's excited about it.

"Before you go, if you managed to mate with him, we can tap each other in and out to take turns." She smiled before disappearing from Retsu's sight.

"Hmm, wait?!? What do you mean by that? Yachiru?!?" she shouted, knowing that Yachiru had disappeared.

Far from Retsu's inner world position, she reappeared again. She looked in her direction and said, "That girl and her young master will bow the whole universe one day. Who knows how many vixens will flock to his side?

"I am looking forward to meeting you in person. Yuuki-san. You better watch out. Mama likes her prey fresh." She spoke in a sultry tone before disappearing again.