Marvel With Zanpakutou

Chapter 820: The Unfulfilled Promise

After a half-second of effort, Lorde concluded:

In his weakened state, escaping the gravitational pull was impossible. The only outcome awaiting him was to be swallowed.

His molten, golden eyes fixed on the man with the mocking grin, burning his image deep into his memory. Waves of fury and killing intent surged around him like an unstoppable tide.

In the last second before being consumed by the "hole," Lorde made a shocking decision:

Since escape was impossible, there was no need to try.

Clang—!!!

A sound like a dragon’s roar echoed through the sky, accompanied by a sharp sword light that tore through the heavens.

Seeing no way to break free, Lorde ceased struggling. Instead, he used the last of his spiritual power to infuse Scabbard’s Slumber with the power of All-Piercing and hurled it toward the slender man dressed in the multicoloured robe and golden double crown.

The brilliant sword light was sharp and unstoppable.

With the power of All-Piercing granted to Scabbard’s Slumber, nothing in existence could stand in its way.

Even a planet would be pierced through.

Apparently, the man did not expect Lorde to retaliate and failed to react in time. His pupils reflected the brilliant sword light before his head was penetrated entirely.

The violent sword energy tore the man apart in just an instant, and the golden double crown tumbled from the sky.

Boom!!!

After piercing the mysterious man’s head, Scabbard’s Slumber showed no sign of stopping, shooting far into the distance.

The raging sword energy trailed behind it, like a meteor crashing to the earth, slicing through the broken sky until it vanished at the horizon.

With the last of his spiritual power gone, Lorde could no longer resist the gravitational pull.

The massive "hole" swallowed him and then quickly shrank, disappearing entirely.

"No—!!!"

Though Unohana Retsu had tried her hardest, she was still a step too late. She could only watch as the man she cared for was swallowed by the hole, leaving her heart hollow, as if it had been carved out.

The Soul King... had vanished.

And it had happened right before her eyes, completely and utterly gone.

Unohana could feel it. The unique connection she’d had with the Soul King disappeared the moment he was consumed.

Everyone resurrected by the Soul King had a special connection with him, a soul-level bond akin to the intuition shared by twins. Now, that connection was severed.

It was like... a kite with a broken string.

Unohana’s face turned pale as if she couldn’t believe it. The hands that had killed countless people, which had never trembled before, were now shaking slightly. She slowly reached out to the spot where Lorde had been.

It was empty—no sensation, only the gentle breeze against her fingertips.

It was to be expected space was a concept, not something that could be touched.

Her slender fingers gradually curled into a fist, knuckles turning white as veins bulged.

He was truly gone...

It wasn’t an illusion, nor a dream.

The emptiness at her fingertips and the dull ache in her heart silently reminded her that it was all real.

"You... lied to me..."

Like a bolt from the blue, Unohana’s mind went blank. All strength drained from her body, and she nearly collapsed, biting her lip hard as bitterness filled her mouth. "Didn’t you say... you’d take me to see the most beautiful sunrise?"

The empty sky held no answer for her, only the gentle touch of the wind.

Silence persisted for a long time.

It wasn’t until dusk that Unohana slowly turned around, walking toward the direction where Scabbard’s Slumber had disappeared.

Her figure looked so lonely, her long black hair hanging loose, the white sash she usually wore nowhere to be seen. She moved like a rigid corpse, evoking a sense of deep sorrow in those who saw her.

The Guardians of the Galaxy members looked at each other in confusion, completely unaware of what had happened.

From the moment Lorde had struck, a particular space-time field had enveloped Xandar, excluding everyone else. They hadn’t seen what transpired and had no idea what had occurred.

Star-Lord and the others wanted to speak, but the words caught in their throats. They simply followed silently behind her.

They wanted to ask for the Power Stone back but now wasn’t the time. They decided to wait until her emotions settled before broaching the subject.

After all, they had all witnessed the Power Stone’s might.

Star-Lord hoped the Power Stone would remain on Xandar, protected by the Nova Empire if possible.

When Unohana finally arrived at the spot where Scabbard’s Slumber had fallen, a group of Ravagers was already trying to pull the sword out, showing off to one another.

Oh no... these fools are doomed!

A cold chill ran down Star-Lord’s spine. He realised these idiots were in trouble.

And indeed, before the Ravagers could celebrate, a streak of blood-red light flashed through the air. Dozens of heads rolled to the ground, necks spurting blood high into the air. Each pair of eyes, wide with anger and disbelief, reflected a figure dressed in pure white.

"Don’t touch him with your filthy hands!"

The depths of Unohana’s dark eyes glowed red with murderous intent.

The blade, curved like a crescent moon, dripped with blood, staining the ruins red.

A sword without a sheath can only continue to swing.

As a healer, Retsu was once the blade sealed by a sheath. But now, without her sheath, she had become the sword again.

Now... she was the original Kenpachi, Yachiru Unohana.

Yondu’s pupils shrank, and he instinctively reached for his whistle to summon his arrow.

But he was met with an icy, murderous glare before he could blow it. In an instant, it felt as if he were drowning in a sea of blood and corpses.

For a moment, Yondu thought he saw a terrifying demon bathed in blood.

"This is a misunderstanding! Don’t attack!"

Star-Lord, acting instinctually, rushed forward and stood between Yondu and Unohana, sweat pouring down his face. "Yondu didn’t mean any harm, and he definitely didn’t order anyone to take the sword. Please, believe us!"

Unohana withdrew her gaze, and the oppressive killing intent vanished.

Star-Lord and the others felt an immense weight lift off their shoulders as if they had narrowly escaped death. They were drenched in cold sweat.

Especially Yondu, who was panting heavily and shooting Star-Lord with a grateful look. If not for his intervention, Yondu knew he’d already be dead. His instincts told him that if he’d blown the whistle, he would’ve been killed instantly.

That woman... was scarier than Thanos!

It wasn’t necessarily about raw strength but the refined killing intent and the nightmarish visions of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

Unohana walked forward silently and pulled Scabbard’s Slumber from the ground.

A familiar sensation washed over her, and suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind.

"Retsu, don’t worry."

"I will return. Until then, I’m counting on you to take care of everything."

"If you face something you can’t handle, try looking for Yinmeng."

Unohana froze momentarily, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears. She hugged Scabbard’s Slumber tightly to her chest, and a single tear rolled down her cheek, falling from her delicate chin.

Inside Scabbard’s Slumber was a fragment of Lorde’s soul.

It was the last piece of his soul that Lorde had torn off, leaving it in the sword.

Now she understood why Lorde had thrown the sword in the end.

It wasn’t to kill that mysterious man—it was to leave the sword behind and tell them that he was still alive and would return!

And that soul fragment was the proof!

As long as it remained, so did Lorde!

...

Several days later.

Xandar’s inhabitants were busy with post-battle reconstruction, clearing the mountainous rubble.

A slender man dressed in a multicoloured robe walked among the workers, yet no one noticed him. He was like a phantom, passing through them unnoticed.

The man stopped at a pile of debris and bent down, picking up a golden double crown.