"I see. I understand."
Toji would rather spend so much energy to dodge, which meant Uraume's guess was correct.
Toji seemed able to use that power to wound her directly.
A hint of pride rose in Uraume's heart. She thought she was clever, having unraveled the mystery of Toji's Zanpakutō so quickly.
Yet, even with that, something still felt wrong.
This Zanpakutō's ability was indeed special, but it didn't seem to match the reputation of a Zanpakutō.
Could this be only the Irooni game of this blade?
While Uraume was still thinking, Toji's voice rang out.
"No need to test, no need to guess. If you want to know the rules of this game, I can tell you directly."
This was the duty of Katen Kyōkotsu's wielder.
When the opponent asks about the rules of the game, as referee, you must tell them. You cannot lie.
"When one side or the other calls out a color, both players can only strike at the areas of their opponent covered by that color.
If they strike an area of another color, the attack will be nullified.
The larger the area of the called-out color on your body, the stronger your strike will be.
The smaller the area of the called-out color, the weaker your strike becomes."
Toji's explanation confirmed Uraume's earlier deduction. Still, she was shocked that he explained his Zanpakutō's ability so openly.
Shouldn't this be kept hidden?
But since Toji was so arrogant, it worked in her favor. This meant she could now stand on equal footing with him.
"Depending on the color, right? That means the larger the area that can be cut, the more dangerous it becomes. The smaller the area, the safer it is."
Uraume had grasped the essence of Irooni and waited with confidence for Toji to call out the next color.
Facing her alert expression, Toji smiled faintly, raised Katen Kyōkotsu, and charged forward once more.
Uraume was ready this time to call out a color.
As for Toji's outfit, she only needed to say "black" without hesitation.
The black cloth covered the majority of Toji's body.
Uraume sneered inwardly. What kind of fool was he? He knew this game depended on the colors of the body, yet he still wore such a single-colored outfit?
If it were her, she would wear as many colors as possible, even if it made her look ridiculous.
Had he not explained the rules, most would have had to guess for a long time.
But Toji, the fool, had simply told her everything, making it harder on himself.
This time, Uraume did not plan to use a frost shield. Without it, the colors on her outfit would appear more even, less monotonous than Toji's.
She fixed her gaze on his mouth, ready to shout "black" the moment it moved.
In the blink of an eye, Toji closed the distance.
This time, he leapt high, bringing both blades down in a fierce chop.
What color will he call? White? Black? Blue?
Uraume's thoughts spun. As long as she matched him, no matter how strong his strike was, it would be rendered useless.
"Takaoni!"
"Black!"
The instant Toji opened his mouth, Uraume shouted "black" in return. At the same time, she condensed an ice spear and hurled it at his upper body, intending to pin him mid-air.
But the moment she spoke, something felt wrong.
Toji hadn't called out a color at all.
What is happening?
Her mind raced. The words he spoke just now weren't "Irooni" at all...
Takaoni?
Uraume froze. She didn't know the exact rules of this new game, but she knew Toji was exploiting them to attack her.
His leap turned into a fierce descending strike.
Should I defend, or evade?
She was uncertain, but one thing was clear: she could not use a color to block his attack.
As Toji plummeted toward her, Uraume abandoned her position in the air and dropped swiftly to the ground.
The moment she landed, she rolled hard, narrowly evading his descending blades.
A deafening roar split the air.
Blood flowed from her ears, her eardrums torn by the force of the impact.
Staggering away, Uraume's expression was one of pure shock. She had never imagined that Toji's seemingly simple slash could release such devastating force.
The massive Zenin courtyard was carved into two deep trenches by his strike. If water were poured into them, they would form ditches.
Zenin Naoya's eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
He had only ever learned about Toji's Zanpakutō in theory, and thought it was peculiar. But now, just a single slash had such overwhelming destructive power.
A fall from the sky, and yet it created this.
If he cut down two more times, would the entire Zenin estate be destroyed?
Beside him, Naobito had similar thoughts. But unlike Naoya, he knew more of Katen Kyōkotsu's abilities.
Satoshi had told him before that Toji's Zanpakutō contained many techniques.
Naobito was already familiar with Kageoni, but this Takaoni was clearly another game altogether.
Seeing Uraume's battered state, the onlookers of the Zenin family felt a measure of relief.
Only two techniques, and she was already like this. And yet, Toji's Zanpakutō should still have even more games to play...
(To be continued.)
***
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