Chapter 21: The Joy of Fighting

< After Eichi teleported away with the mysterious woman >

[Eichi's P.O.V.]

I felt goosebumps the moment I grabbed the mysterious woman and Mikoto teleported us both away.

I knew this feeling well. This was the first time since the fight against Kinkaku, I was feeling fear.

I bursted out laughing confusing the woman.

"I don't seem to understand why you are laughing, human."

"It's simple! I laugh because I'm happy. I'm happy because after so long I'm finally able to fight someone worthy!", I explained myself.

Every fiber in my body was telling me that my opponent was strong, even the hollow in me which would normally stay asleep was awakened when I touched her.

My desire to fight her grew with each passing second.

"Worthy? How impudent to think a mere human would dare utter such words. You seem to misunderstand something. I have neither the time nor the desire to waste my time with weaklings."

I decided to ignore her words and attacked her instead. I had released my shikai before entering the ruins.

I swung the big cleaver with my right hand but before it could hit her something strange happenend. I could feel the something but I couldn't tell what it was and the next moment a deep cut appeared on my chest interrupting my attack.

I retreated a bit and asked:

"What the hell? How did you do that without moving?"

Seeing as she had no intention to answer I tried attacking her again. This time I became even faster and approached her from the side.

But the same happenend once again, before I could approach her a deep cut appeared on my left leg.

I was confused to what was happening but I felt the same strange feeling again right before being cut.

"You should give up, I don't wish to kill you. Like I said before I have no interest in you."

I was trying my best to understand the situation but I just couldn't figure out how her powers worked.

So I did the only logical thing, I attack again but this time when I had that strange feeling again I dodged it.

And it worked! I wasn't cut and I could see a suprised expression on her face.

She dodged my attack and raised her hand at me and then a huge wound nearly ripped my shoulder apart and I fell to my knees.

"You're an interesting human. To think you'd be able to dodge it once, impressive.

Nevertheless you should have heeded my advice, now as punishment for your foolishness you shall die."

She extended her hand again and once again a new cut mark appeared on my body out of nowhere making me collapse to the ground.

She was about to leave when my voice surprised her.

"Hahahaha. This is great, I think I understand now. You're creating a rift in space, that's why the wounds never felt like me being cut. What ever touches them is ripped apart without even realising the reason behind it."

I stood up the bigger cleaver in my hand gradually changing from black to white.

"Indeed. That is the power of my left eye, to crack space itself. It is a difficult ability that took me decades to be able to control properly.

But even if you know that, your body is already severaly wounded. You are out of your class here human.

So why are you still smiling and pointing that sword towards me." she asked calmly.

"Why you ask? Because I love it. I love the thrill of fighting against someone powerful.

You ask me why I have a smile on my face but don't you have one as well?"

She was startled by my words but once she realized that what I said was true she giggled and said:

"I take back what I said, you are quite interesting for a human.

But if you wish to fight me then that pitiful strength of yours won't do."

I smiled and replied:

"Don't worry, he's awake now."

I showed her my now completely white cleaver in my right hand before my power erupted.

A long white horn appeared on the side of my head, a black line flowing from my forehead all the way down to my chest disappearing underneath my shihakusho. My left sclera changed from white to gold while my iris changed from gold to black contrasting my normal right eye.

The smile on the woman's face widened as she vanished, reappearing behind me.

She unsheathed a sword she had hidden underneath her white robe and tried to cut me down but I was able to easily block it.

"Yes, human! I would have never imagined that someone of your race could achieve such heights. Haha. You are indeed worthy of pointing your sword at me! Let's fight, let's have fun, human!" she exclaimed.

Annoyed at being called human over and over again, I blasted a {Gran Rey Cero} at her which shot her away against the barrier.

"I have a name you know. My name is Eichi Takeda!" I shouted at her.

She appeared a few meters away from me, her clothes were slightly damaged but that was it.

She was still smiling at me and said:

"That suprised me, Eichi Takeda.

My name is Ichika Otsutsuki."

"Just call me Eichi.

Now since the pleasantries are out of the way, shall we continue?"

No further words were needed as both of us disappeared from sight, our swords clashing multiple times.

I had to fight while avoiding the space rifts that would randomly appear. Awakening my hollow power strengthend not only my body but my senses and instincts as well and thus I was able to avoid them with ease.

The battle paused again for a while as we both started staring at each other.

Ichika then broke the silence:

"You are still holding back, I can feel it. Why?"

"Because the fight would be over in an instant and I'm enjoying this too much. What about you? You have such special looking eyes yet you have only used one of them."

"Very well then. I can only use one eye at the time but I'll show you the ability of my right one. However be warned you won't be able to touch me anymore."

I narrowed my eyes at her declaration. Her right eye started glowing stlighty indicating that he had activated her ability.

But nothing seemed to have happened?

She once again rushed at me swinging her sword down towards me.

I couldn't understand what was going on. She made such a declaration but then attacked me using such a simple move?

I swung the white cleaver in my right hand to block her strike, but right before the swords were about to clash, mine bended in an unnatural way giving space to her sword. Caught offguard by the sudden event, I received a huge wound from my right shoulder down to the left side of my waist.

She was just as surprised as I was. I was shocked by my sword bending and giving way to hers while she was shocked at the visible blue veins that partly blocked her strike and were now healing me.

"What are you?" she asked in surprise even though I was the one that got slashed.

"Hahaha. God damn without the {Blut Vene} from my Quincy bloodline, I would have been done for.

My sword is back to normal that means that ability of yours is not permanent. Would you mind telling me what it is?" , I asked with a cheeky grin.

She simply giggled and shook her head at my shamelessness to ask something like that.

"Of course, what was I expecting?"

This time I attacked her hoping to somehow find out what her ability is. She didn't even raise her sword to defend herself as my sword bended again missing its target.

I was full of openings which she didn't miss, giving me another wound on my back this time.

This happened a few more times until I reached a conclusion.

"You're bending space to make my sword miss, right? My sword isn't normal and can't be bend like that by normal means.

That would explain why you said I wouldn't be able to touch you anymore. It's impossible because you just bend the path my sword travels to get to you away from yourself."

The little talk was enough for my combined Hollow and Quincy regeneration to completely heal all my wounds.

"I must say I'm quite impressed. You're right about my right eye's abilities. But nothing changes even if you know it, you can't reach me. You wanted to see my full power, here it is. Now show me yours, Eichi!" Ichika answered, the smile never leaving her face. She seemed to be enjoying herself aswell.

My eyes started glowing a blue light as I said:

"Haha. This is it then! Let's enjoy this to end, Ichika!

BAN...KAI!!"