CHAPTER 98: CHAPTER 98: A LIFE FOR A LIFE?

Shutara Senjumaru lifted the Kidō sealing the memories.

Nanatsuki began to remember certain things.

What he saw in the dream—guided by the "Dream"—had truly happened.

His current Reishi body was indeed a Reishi Shell created by Shutara Senjumaru using the Reishi of Katori Batsu’unsai.

The purpose of creating the Reishi Shell was to cultivate a Spiritual Pressure Core capable of housing Katori Batsu’unsai’s Reishi body.

"You’ve recalled your origins now, haven’t you, boy?" Shutara Senjumaru’s lips curved faintly with an elusive smile. "You’re the Reishi Shell I made from Batsu’unsai’s Reishi. She was willing to die for you, so..."

"Are you willing to offer your Spiritual Pressure Core for her?"

Without hesitation, Nanatsuki responded firmly:

"Please use my Spiritual Pressure Core to save Batsu’unsai!"

If Batsu’unsai would rather die than use his Spiritual Pressure Core, how could he just watch her die?

She had already fallen unconscious, unable to refuse.

That meant if Shutara Senjumaru and Kirinji Tenjirō helped replace the Spiritual Pressure Core, they could save her!

"Seems Batsu’unsai didn’t place her faith in the wrong person. But..." Kirinji Tenjirō sighed, then shifted his tone. "Unfortunately, we have to refuse."

"Why?!"

Nanatsuki couldn’t understand. Wasn’t the original plan to use his core to save her?

"This is Batsu’unsai’s will," Shutara Senjumaru sighed gently. "To her, this means more than life. If we go against it, we’d be defiling her will."

"I’m not someone who fears death. Using my Spiritual Pressure Core to save her is what I truly want!" Nanatsuki was growing desperate as Batsu’unsai’s spiritual pressure waned.

On the Status Interface

, her Reiatsu value flickered wildly. In just moments, it had dropped to the 70s—and was still falling fast.

"Boy, I get how you feel, but we really can’t do that." Kirinji Tenjirō patted his shoulder. Noticing the stubborn resolve on Nanatsuki’s face, he added, "And don’t even think of trying to rip your core out yourself. Even if you do, Senjumaru can just stitch it right back in."

Nanatsuki had no choice but to abandon the thought.

His level of Kaido wasn’t enough to perform a Spiritual Pressure Core transplant.

Even if he had Kirinji Tenjirō’s level of Kaido, it wasn’t something one could do to themselves.

Instead, Nanatsuki channeled his Reiatsu and desperately poured it into Batsu’unsai’s body.

It had some effect. The rapid drop in spiritual pressure stabilized, for now.

But it was still falling—just slower. Without a Spiritual Pressure Core to anchor it, her Reiatsu was like a rootless duckweed or water without a source. It couldn’t stay inside. Only the descent had slowed.

Watching her weaken moment by moment, a sudden spark of inspiration hit Nanatsuki.

The Spirit-Converging Pill!

His Reiatsu was the same origin as Batsu’unsai’s. That meant the pill he crafted should work for her too!

He quickly took one out and fed it to her.

The moment it reached her stomach, it took effect—beginning to release Reiatsu.

Nanatsuki didn’t stop channeling his own energy. With both methods working together, her spiritual pressure finally stabilized... and even began to recover slightly.

But the number of pills was limited. So was his own Reiatsu. All this could do was delay her death.

"Hey—boy, what kind of medicine is that?" Kirinji Tenjirō was surprised to see her Reiatsu stabilize.

"It’s a Spirit-Converging Pill I made. A pill that stores Reiatsu," Nanatsuki replied without hesitation.

"Let me take a look..." Kirinji picked up the bottle by Nanatsuki’s foot and poured one out.

"Sweet elephant grass, imperial bamboo, hundred-vein root..." He sniffed and identified a few ingredients, then popped it in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully.

"Mmm... purple mushroom... what a genius combination... This could really store Reiatsu..."

Kirinji turned to look at Nanatsuki in amazement.

"Boy, you developed this yourself?"

"Why not give up on swordsmanship and study Kaido with me instead? There’s no future in swordplay!"

Nanatsuki didn’t respond. He was in no mood.

Unbothered, Kirinji let out a regretful sigh.

"Tch, tch, guess you’re not really giving up on saving Batsu’unsai, huh?"

Nanatsuki’s heart skipped.

"Kirinji-sama, have you found a way to save her?"

His words suggested there might be an alternative to a Spiritual Pressure Core transplant.

Kirinji laughed.

"This pill of yours gave me an idea. I think I can create a super-sized Spirit-Converging Pill. That might be enough to preserve Batsu’unsai’s life."

Shutara Senjumaru nodded after a moment of thought.

"That might actually work."

"Hang in there for another hour, boy. I’ll go borrow something from Kirio." Kirinji patted Nanatsuki’s shoulder and vanished with a Shunpo.

Nanatsuki’s spirit lifted. He quickly took a pill himself.

An hour? That he could endure.

He couldn’t help but feel grateful that he had started refining the pills immediately after gathering the ingredients—and had filled them with Reiatsu just in case.

Fwoosh

—the sound of air being torn by a high-speed Shunpo. Nanatsuki looked up—but it wasn’t Kirinji returning.

It was Unohana.

After receiving an urgent message from Nanatsuki’s students, she had rushed to the back mountain of the Katori-ryu Dojo.

But by the time she arrived, Nanatsuki and Batsu’unsai were already gone. So, she tracked them here via the spiritual traces they had left.

She gave a brief glance at Shutara Senjumaru and then walked over to check Batsu’unsai’s condition.

"Katori-kun, this won’t stop her from dying," Unohana sighed softly after quickly assessing her.

"Kirinji-sama said he has a way," Nanatsuki replied.

"Kirinji, hmm..." Unohana gave a faint smile.

"Maybe..."

She wasn’t sure whether Kirinji Tenjirō could really save her, but there was no reason for him to deceive Nanatsuki.

So Unohana decided to stay and observe.

She crouched down and touched the deep crevice in the ground. It was smooth and bottomless.

"Looks like I missed quite a battle..." she murmured. She would’ve liked to witness such a clash of swordsmanship.

An hour later, Kirinji Tenjirō reappeared.

In his hand was a Spirit-Converging Pill larger than an egg, and a syringe:

"Boy, this is a Spiritual Pressure Booster I created. It’ll let you erupt with spiritual power for a while—but you’ll be bedridden for a few days afterward."

"Once you use the booster, pour all that power into this giant Spirit-Converging Pill."

Nanatsuki took the syringe. After injecting it, his Reiatsu skyrocketed. He channeled all of it into the massive pill.

The color of the pill began to shift—turning white first, then gradually blue.

Moments later, it became a deep, dark blue.

"Perfect!" Kirinji tossed the pill to Shutara Senjumaru.

"Senjumaru, stitch this into Batsu’unsai’s body!"