[Soul Society Arc] Part 69: Making Good Relations

Tatsuki maintained a solid fighting stance while keeping her eyes fixed on the lieutenant.

After the shinigami used his release command, the blade of his zanpakutō lost its curve and straightened, forming three sides of a square, reminiscent of a hook, with the cutting edge on the inside of the angles.

Tatsuki: 'His reiatsu just increased.' - She thought. - 'Now, I need to figure out what his zanpakutō does and stay alert for those spells he's using...'

The sudden surge of reiatsu from the lieutenant caught the attention of some nearby shinigami, who hurried to the scene to investigate.

Shinigami 1: "There they are!"

Shinigami 2: "And Lieutenant Kira too! But he's already dealing with one of the intruders."

Shinigami 3: "Hey, Lieutenant! You don't mind if we take care of this one, do you?!" - One of the shinigami pointed to Chad, who had barely glanced at the group of ten shinigami that had just arrived.

Izuru: "Don't! Stay away from there!" - He shouted, briefly glancing at the group of shinigami.

The shinigamis practically ignored the lieutenant's request, and in that brief moment, in the blink of an eye, the action unfolded. Tatsuki swiftly advanced toward the lieutenant, delivering a punch in his direction. This time, Izuru managed to react in time, wielding his zanpakutō and blocking the girl's punch.

The impact resulted in a metallic sound, as if metal were striking metal. In his mind, Izuru contemplated the strangely solid force behind Tatsuki's punch.

Izuru: 'Her fist is strangely hard... anyway... now that I've struck her, it shouldn't make much of a difference.' - He thought as he refocused on the girl.

On the other hand, Tatsuki quickly retreated after Izuru's successful block and resumed her karate stance. However, something troubled her. She noticed that her right fist felt heavier than usual, and a strange sensation ran through her arm.

Tatsuki: "What's going on?" - she thought to herself, puzzled.

Chad: "...Need a hand?" - He asked, ignoring the other shinigami.

Tatsuki: "Nah..." - She casually replied. - "Just make sure these idiots don't get in the way."

Chad: "Hm..." - He turned his attention back to the group of shinigami.

Meanwhile, the group of shinigami unsheathed their zanpakutōs, walking slowly towards Chad.

Shinigami 1: "Do you really think you can just ignore us?"

Shinigami 2: "You must be either really brave or really dumb to dismiss members of the 11th Division!"

Shinigami 3: "We'll take you down in 5 minutes!"

Chad: "...Sorry but...five minutes is too long..." - His right arm began to emanate a powerful reiatsu, instantly intimidating the shinigami. - "This will only take two minutes..."

**

Ichigo and Ikkaku continued to lock eyes, their wounds causing blood to keep dripping into their eyes. Ichigo's hand instinctively moved to rub the area, attempting to alleviate the bleeding.

Ikkaku: "....I don't understand. At this range, only an amateur would take their hand off the hilt."

Ichigo: "Hey... shut up! I can't fight with blood dripping into my eye! I have to do something."

Ikkaku: "Even shallow wounds above the eyes bleed profusely." - He commented as he removed the tip of his zanpakutō's hilt, revealing a small amount of styptic ointment inside. - "Wiping it away is a poor remedy. It's better to apply styptic."

The bald shinigami applied some of the hemostatic ointment to the cut above his right eye, stopping the bleeding and leaving Ichigo feeling indignant.

Ichigo: "Hey! That thing stops bleeding?! That's not fair!!"

Ikkaku: "What?! Of course it's fair!! It's called being prepared!!! You should be applauding my professionalism!!"

All Ichigo could do was scowl, clearly not satisfied with the shinigami's explanation.

Ikkaku: "Heh. You're a weird one. You act like an amateur. I'm sorry, but you don't look like a warrior... and yet, you've got a first-class reaction, your swing is powerful! And as for your moves... they're not far from my level!"

Ichigo: "Huh?"

Ikkaku: "Don't get angry. That was a compliment. I'm saying you're really good... too good to dismiss as a lucky battle-crazed novice... Who's your master, Ichigo?"

Ichigo: "...He only trained me for about ten days, so... I'm not sure if I can call him a master or anything like that... but someone did teach me how to fight."

Ikkaku: "Who?"

Ichigo: "Kisuke Urahara."

At that moment, the 3rd seat's expression changed to one of surprise upon hearing the name mentioned by the orange-haired teenager.

Ikkaku: "I see... so that guy is your master... in that case, it would be disrespectful of me not to fight seriously!" - The 3rd seat slams the hilt of his zanpakutō into its sheath. - "Extend!!!! Hōzukimaru!!!!"

The zampakutō takes on the form of what initially appears to be a Kikuchi Yari with a wax wood shaft with a red horsehair tassel on the pommel.

Ichigo: 'A spear...?!'

Ikkaku: "This isn't the time to be impressed!! Are you ready?! Don't misjudge!!"

The 3rd seat advanced against Ichigo, delivering several thrusts with his spear and even attacking with the pommel, but Ichigo managed to parry all the strikes with his zanpakutō.

Ichigo was about to make a comment regarding the long reach, but suddenly, he remembered a frustrating moment during his training.

Suddenly, Ikkaku grabbed the pommel of the spear to strike, but once again, Ichigo parried the attack and took advantage of the long reach to counter-attack Ikkaku.

Ikkaku: "I told you, don't misjudge!! Split Apart! Hōzukimaru!"

The shinigami's spear split into a three-sectional staff, with the blade moving towards Ichigo.

Both combatants quickly moved away from each other, while one of the shinigami was shown to be significantly injured during the exchange.

Ikkaku: "Heh...so you really didn't misjudge..." - He winced as he spoke, his voice tinged with a mix of pain and happyness.

The 3rd seat had a deep gash running from his shoulder down to his waist, and blood was flowing profusely from the wound. Despite the injury, Ikkaku wore a determined expression, seemingly unfazed by the pain as he stared intently at Ichigo.

Ikkaku: "The moment my Hōzukimaru split apart, you instinctively ducked during the attack...you were really well-trained by Urahara!"

Ichigo: "That move just now had nothing to do with my training." - His response was filled with a hint of frustration.

Ikkaku: "Huh?"

Ichigo: "During my training with Kisuke Urahara, a friend of mine trained alongside me for a while. In the final days of our training... I suggested a sparring with him, and I found out just how annoying he can be..."

Ichigo's voice carried a mix of irritation and nostalgia as he recalled that particular memory.

Ichigo: "He went out of his way to keep me at bay in so many ways... dropping game references during fights... laughing his head off when I fell for the same traps over and over... he was a pain in the neck!!"

He continued to grumble, clearly still bothered by those memories but suddenly he smile, despite recalling a fact that had left him frustrated.

Ichigo: "But despite it all, thanks to him, I did have a improvement in my reaction time."

Ikkaku: "Heh. So, there's another guy who not only trained with Kisuke Urahara but also seems to be sharper than you." - He chuckled. - "That guy must be really strong... probably the one who's currently fighting Hisagi or Kira."

Ichigo: "I couldn't say for sure who's facing him, but... what I'm sure of is that if his opponent is at the same level as you, my friend will definitely win." - He smirked confidently.

**

Hisagi lunged forward in pursuit of Yato, his face etched with determination and a hint of frustration. Their zanpakutōs clashing in a symphony of steel. The tension in the air was palpable as they exchanged a flurry of blows, each strike resonating with the weight of their respective intentions.

As their duel continued, Yato, the young warrior, demonstrated a peculiar strategy. He never lingered in close proximity to the tenacious lieutenant for too long. Instead, after exchanging just a few blows, he'd gracefully retreat, utilizing the Bringer Light technique to put some distance between them.

Hisagi, catching his breath amidst the intensity of the battle, couldn't help but be puzzled by Yato's tactics. His chest ached from the cut he'd sustained, but he wasn't about to let that deter him. He leveled a determined gaze at his elusive adversary.

Hisagi: "I have no clue what you're planning, but you won't be leaving this place," he declared, his voice unwavering despite the pain throbbing in his chest. Hisagi's frustration was simmering beneath the surface; he was determined to apprehend this enigmatic intruder and put an end to this relentless cat-and-mouse game.

After distancing himself once more, Yato cast a quick glance at the invisible threads he had strategically placed around the lieutenant. His tactical maneuver was precise, always leading the shinigami into areas where his movements would become confined and his options limited.

Yato, always a step ahead, observed the lieutenant from a distance, a faint trace of a cunning smile playing upon his lips. His thoughts swirled in the midst of this relentless confrontation, dissecting the habits and tendencies of the typical Shinigami.

Yato: 'The problem with most Shinigami, especially ones like Hisagi, is that they prefer one-on-one confrontations. They rarely unleash their full potential right from the start, naively expecting their foes to adhere to the same rules.' - His calculating mind mulled over these insights as he kept a vigilant eye on Hisagi, their duel evolving into a complex dance of strategy and combat.

Yato, with a swift flick of his fingers, advanced swiftly towards the lieutenant. Just as before, Hisagi attempted to parry the attack, but once more, his arms were ensnared by those invisible threads.

Hisagi: 'Again?!' With his arms immobilized, Hisagi swiftly opened the palm of his left hand, conjuring a medium crimson-red orb. - "Hadō #31. Shakkahō!"

As he released the kido, sending the fiery orb hurtling towards his agile foe, Yato swiftly employed the Bringer Light to evade the path of the blazing projectile.

As Yato backed away, Hisagi immediately use his Shunpo to close the distance between them, launching another assault. Yato deftly blocked the attack with his own zanpakutō, their blades colliding with a resounding clash.

Hisagi: "I've figured it out… With your zanpakutō, you can create those invisible bindings when you move your fingers." - He commented, catching his breath for a moment. "I admit, it's a tricky ability to deal with, but—"

Before the lieutenant could finish his sentence, Yato's lips curled into a sly smirk.

Yato: "Yon no Uta, Zankyosanka" [四 の 歌・残響散歌, Fourth Song, Reverberant Song]

As their zanpakutō blades pressed against each other, Yato's sword started emanating vivid red flames, and with a swift motion, he unleashed the flames point-blank at the lieutenant.

Hisagi: "What?!"

The force of the attack sent Hisagi tumbling backward, and he began rolling upon landing, attempting to extinguish the flames. However, to his bewilderment, something peculiar became apparent.

Hisagi: 'These flames… they're not burning me?!' - He thought, perplexed by the unexpected turn of events.

The flames had vanished from Hisagi's body without leaving a single burn, but the lieutenant soon realized that the chains wrapped around his forearm were still engulfed in red flames. Suddenly, they exploded with a deafening sound, akin to fireworks being set off right beside him, causing small burns on his forearm.

Hisagi was still slightly disoriented, his ears ringing from the previous explosion. As he refocused his attention on Yato, he realized that the young Ryoka was practically right in front of him, his zanpakutō dangerously close to Hisagi's throat.

Hisagi's eyes widened in surprise and realization.

Yato: "San no Uta, Naibu no Uchū" [三 の 歌・内部の宇宙, Third Song, Inner Universe]

Hisagi's thoughts raced as Yato's zanpakutō inched closer to his throat. He felt trapped, with no way to dodge the impending strike.

Hisagi's thoughts raced as he saw Yato's zanpakutō erupt in yellow flames. The attack was swift and brutal, the blade striking directly at Hisagi's neck, sending him flying backward.

As he instinctively rose to his feet, Hisagi's hand went to the spot where the attack had landed. His confusion deepened when he realized that, despite the fiery assault, he felt no burning sensation, and there was no blood. He had not been cut.

Hisagi's mind raced with confusion as he clutched his unharmed neck. He couldn't comprehend how he had escaped unscathed from Yato's attack. He exchanged an uncertain glance with Yato.

Meanwhile, Yato was grappling with his own thoughts. He understood the intricacies of a shinigami battle, knowing that it was fundamentally a clash of reiatsu. He sighed, realizing that Hisagi's confusion and apprehension were affecting his reiatsu, likely hindering his performance.

Hisagi rose to his feet, his gaze locked onto Yato with a stern and determined expression. Beads of cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

Until now, Yato's abilities had been utterly perplexing, but after two encounters, Hisagi had a stronger grasp of what he was dealing with. The fiery attacks were evidently Yato's true ability, which meant that the invisible restraints binding the lieutenant were a separate aspect of his powers.

Taking advantage of Yato's momentary pause in his attacks, Hisagi adjusted his zanpakutō and, with a pained expression, uttered the command:

Hisagi: "Reap... Kazeshini!"