35 Chapter 35: True Strength

Yamahiko saw Ikkaku Madarame's Shikai, and an inexhaustible fighting spirit surged within him. With a heavy stomp of his feet on the ground, he appeared at Ikkaku Madarame's side.

Yamahiko would never attack from the front. His speed was his advantage, and attacking in a straight line minimized the time and made his movements faster. However, against a physical attack-type Zanpakuto like Ikkaku's, opponents could adapt to anything. No matter how fast you were, they could calmly respond.

Especially when Ikkaku Madarame had a high Reiryoku, already at the sixth level. Even though he was only the third seat, his spiritual pressure was at the level of a vice-captain.

Yamahiko couldn't possibly surpass his opponent in strength, reaction speed, or frontal combat skills.

Especially when Ikkaku Madarame had a solid stance and was fully prepared to face him head-on, there were almost no openings in front.

So Yamahiko attacked from the side, his Zanpakuto aiming for Ikkaku Madarame's neck.

However, Ikkaku Madarame's speed was extremely fast. He rotated the long spear that had been behind his back, using his hand as an axis. The hilt moved downward while the blade pointed upward, perfectly blocking the edge of Yamahiko's Zanpakuto.

With a loud bang, the immense force caused Yamahiko's Zanpakuto to spread open. But in the next moment, Yamahiko's left hand produced a short spike, thrusting toward Ikkaku Madarame's chest.

It was this move that had forced Ikkaku Madarame into releasing his Shikai earlier, but now it seemed to have no use.

Ikkaku Madarame flicked the tip of his blade upward, and the hilt moved toward the ground. But as his right hand rotated, the hilt lifted, colliding with Yamahiko's short spike, knocking it aside.

Yamahiko's right-hand Zanpakuto swung horizontally, and Ikkaku again used the tip of his blade to deflect it.

At this point, Ikkaku's grip on the Zanpakuto had changed to a two-handed grip. The tip of the blade was slightly slanted forward and upward, while the back end was slightly tilted backward.

It was like a staff, but with a sharp blade at one end.

Yamahiko made several attempts to seize the initiative, but all his efforts were in vain. His two-sword style combat couldn't surpass his opponent.

Then, as Ikkaku pushed aside Yamahiko's Zanpakuto, he paid no attention to the short spike in his left hand. Instead, he followed through with a downward slash.

The sharp blade was heading for Yamahiko's face, while Yamahiko's short spike was aimed at his abdomen.

An exchange of injuries?

Yamahiko frowned. His short spike could penetrate his opponent, and the blood grooves on it could make his opponent bleed profusely.

Although bleeding was deadly, the way to stop it in this world was simpler. It could be easily treated with Kaido.

However, if he were hit directly, he might be split in two.

Yamahiko didn't dare to be careless. He pointed his toes, and his body leaped backward.

Ikkaku hadn't landed a hit. The blade descended, and Ikkaku took a step forward with his right foot, following Yamahiko's retreating figure closely. His right hand gripped the long blade and thrust it forward, aiming for Yamahiko's face.

Yamahiko raised his Zanpakuto in front of him. With a clang, Ikkaku Madarame's long blade struck the edge of Yamahiko's Zanpakuto, causing Yamahiko's arm to go numb. In the next moment, his long blade drew an arc in the air, slicing towards Yamahiko's legs.

Yamahiko's toes tapped the air, suspending his body mid-air. However, Ikkaku Madarame's long blade flicked up again, its tip aimed at Yamahiko's abdomen.

After releasing his Shikai, Ikkaku Madarame had first used the first form, the long spear form for defense. When on the offensive, he used the battle techniques of a long spear.

Taking the position he held with his right hand as a pivot, he thrust, thrust, swept, and struck. These were all techniques of a long spear. However, instead of a spearhead, there was a blade with a width of two inches and a length of a foot and a half, adding hacking, slashing, and flicking techniques.

Coupled with the length of the long spear, it could cover a broader range. Once he gained the initiative, it would be an uninterrupted offensive.

Moreover, the distance his arm traveled was relatively short. With a single shake of the spear, he could thrust it four or five times in an instant, like a storm.

Yamahiko wasn't worried about the speed of these thrusts; his two-sword style could easily handle them. However, his opponent's strength was growing stronger. He had always avoided direct confrontation because he feared Ikkaku Madarame's strength, and now that his opponent had caught his figure, he was powerless to resist.

Boom.

Yamahiko's left hand, with the short spike, intercepted the attack, but his body was shaken back more than a meter.

The strength was immense.

Yamahiko furrowed his brow, and in the next moment, Ikkaku Madarame launched another forward chop with his long blade.

Facing Ikkaku Madarame's long blade, Yamahiko suddenly shot out his left-hand short spike, aiming for Ikkaku Madarame's face.

Yamahiko's original intention was to use the short spike to force Ikkaku Madarame back, creating distance, and then reassess the situation.

However, due to the length of the long spear, it gave Ikkaku Madarame ample time to react. He simply took a step to the side, easily evading, while his blade continued its descent.

Damn it.

Yamahiko tried to raise his Zanpakuto with his right hand to resist, but the immense strength caused his Zanpakuto to slip from his hand.

In the next moment, the tip of Ikkaku Madarame's blade pressed against Yamahiko's throat.

Yamahiko felt the sharpness at his neck and sighed, admitting defeat, "Senior Ikkaku, I admit defeat."

Ikkaku Madarame withdrew his long blade, but before he could say anything, a voice sounded, "You needed your Shikai to defeat a young rookie? Ikkaku, you're really disgracing the Eleventh Division."

As the voice echoed, a tall man with a spiky hairstyle walked in from a distance. He stood over two meters tall and exuded a powerful aura. It was Kenpachi Zaraki.

"Captain, I'm sorry; I've disgraced the Eleventh Division," Ikkaku Madarame immediately lowered his head.

He admired Kenpachi Zaraki greatly. After the betrayal of Shinigami in the form of Gin Ichimaru, Sosuke Aizen, and Kaname Tosen, Yamamoto had intended to appoint him as the new captain, but he had refused, choosing to follow the captain until he died.

"Baldy, you actually lost to Little Yamahiko, that's really shameful."

Yachiru Kusajishi lay on Kenpachi Zaraki's back, showing only a small head, and mercilessly mocked him.

"Vice-Captain, I've told you many times, don't call me 'baldy' anymore."

Ikkaku Madarame was very angry about the nickname given to him by Yachiru.

Yachiru Kusajishi and Ikkaku Madarame bickered back and forth. Meanwhile, Yamahiko bid farewell to Kenpachi Zaraki. "Captain, I'll take my leave now."

"Hurry up and get lost, you cowardly little Shinigami who never dares to fight head-on."

Kenpachi Zaraki disliked Yamahiko's fighting style. He always attacked the enemy's weak points and never engaged in direct combat. In Kenpachi Zaraki's view, real battles should involve cutting each other down!

Yamahiko turned and left the Eleventh Division's quarters, walking to a distant place while contemplating his current strength.

Through the use of the Two-Sword Style, he could defeat Ikkaku Madarame, who didn't use Shikai. However, in the first form of Shikai, he wouldn't stand a chance.

But Yamahiko hadn't used Kido yet. Over the past nine months, he had integrated Kido, Shunpo, and Hakuda into a close combat fighting technique. Although it wasn't as powerful as Shikai, it could elevate his strength to another level. Even if Ikkaku Madarame used his Shikai Special Ability, Split Apart, Yamahiko could still contend.

However, the Eleventh Division rarely used Kido in battle, and Yamahiko's assessment focused on his close combat fighting skills, so he hadn't used it.

Ikkaku Madarame couldn't yet achieve Bankai, but his peak third seat strength was unquestionable. Although he couldn't match the some strong vice-captains, he still had the power to fight against normal vice-captains.

Yamahiko's true strength was probably around that level, too—around the strength of a third seat. He could contend with some vice-captains.

For Yamahiko, who would officially graduate in a week, this level of strength was already quite impressive.

Yes, Yamahiko would graduate next week, marking the end of his student life at the academy.