The latest VV: Ultimatum Update 2 introduced a brand-new Legendary Shikai called Blooming Madness, and it’s already one of the most unique abilities in the game. Instead of relying on straightforward attacks, this Shikai revolves around special “games” that unlock additional skills, combo extensions, and a powerful ultimate.
If you’ve just rolled Blooming Madness and aren’t sure how it works, don’t worry. The mechanics can feel confusing at first, but once you understand the two core abilities, everything starts to make sense.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new Shikai, including its moveset, customization upgrades, Dual Swords, and the latest redeem code.
How to Get Blooming Madness
Blooming Madness is a Legendary (1%) Shikai introduced in Ultimatum Update 2.
Like other Shikai abilities, it can be obtained through rerolls, making it one of the rarest Sword Reaper abilities currently available.
If luck isn’t on your side, expect to spend quite a few rerolls before finally seeing it appear.
New Dual Swords Weapon Type
Update 2 also introduced the new Dual Swords weapon type for Shikai users.
Once equipped, your character fights with two swords instead of one, giving the weapon a much different appearance while keeping the basic combat controls familiar.
The standard attacks include:
- Normal M1 combo
- Heavy attack
The basic moveset doesn’t dramatically change compared to other weapon types, but it pairs nicely with Blooming Madness since most of the Shikai’s strength comes from its special abilities rather than its regular attacks.
Blooming Madness Moveset
Blooming Madness revolves around two unique abilities that temporarily change your available skills.
Rather than simply casting attacks, activating these abilities unlocks additional follow-up moves that can be chained together during combat.
Shadow Game
The first core ability is Shadow Game.
Once activated, your moveset changes temporarily and grants access to new attacks.
These include:
- Shadow Slash
- Shadow Fall
Both attacks can be used while Shadow Game is active, allowing you to extend combos and pressure opponents.
From the animations, these abilities also appear to track enemies fairly well, making them useful for chasing moving targets.
Mountain Game
The second major ability is Mountain Game.
After activating it, the game initiates a special mechanic where the result determines the outcome of the attack.
If you win the encounter, you’ll trigger a powerful follow-up attack that launches into multiple aerial slashes before striking the target.
It gives Blooming Madness a very different feel compared to traditional Shikai abilities.
Ultimate – Irony
One of the most interesting mechanics is the Shikai’s ultimate ability called Irony.
Instead of being available immediately, Irony is charged as you continue using Blooming Madness’s abilities throughout combat.
The more effectively you cycle through Shadow Game and Mountain Game, the faster you’ll unlock the ultimate.
Once ready, Irony unleashes Blooming Madness’s strongest attack and also appears to enhance parts of your combat flow with additional effects.
Blooming Madness Customization Tree
Like other Shikai, Blooming Madness has its own customization upgrades.
Damage Path
Investing in the Damage branch provides several offensive bonuses.
Highlights include:
- Shadow Game and Mountain Game deal more damage.
- At higher levels, both abilities can execute defeated opponents.
- Higher Rei efficiency.
- Improved critical attack effects.
If your goal is maximizing burst damage, this is the path you’ll likely prioritize.
Shadow Boosting Path
The Shadow Boosting upgrades focus more on improving the Shikai’s overall mechanics.
Benefits include:
- Longer Shadow Game duration.
- Longer Mountain Game duration.
- Faster Irony charge generation while Shikai is active.
These upgrades allow you to stay in your empowered state longer and reach your ultimate much more consistently.
Best Blooming Madness Upgrades
If you’re planning to main this Shikai, the Shadow Boosting upgrades seem like the strongest overall investment.
The longer duration on Shadow Game gives you more time to use Shadow Slash and Shadow Fall, while the increased Irony generation lets you access the ultimate more frequently during longer fights.
Damage upgrades are still excellent, especially once the execution effects unlock, but extending your empowered state generally provides more consistent value throughout an entire battle.
Is Blooming Madness Worth Using?
Based on its current moveset, Blooming Madness feels less like a traditional damage-focused Shikai and more like a combo-oriented ability.
Its biggest strengths are:
- Multiple follow-up attacks.
- Excellent combo potential.
- Unique gameplay mechanics.
- Strong-looking ultimate.
- Flexible customization tree.
The learning curve is a bit higher than most Shikai because several abilities change after activation, but once you understand the flow between Shadow Game, Mountain Game, and Irony, the moveset becomes much more rewarding.
If you’re lucky enough to roll this 1% Legendary ability, it’s definitely worth spending some time learning its mechanics instead of immediately rerolling it.