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The once perfect encirclement gradually developed a gap after Ishikawa Katori's assault.
"Shiba!"
Ganju slammed his hands on the rock, and the massive rock instantly turned to sand, burying the attacking enemies within.
Behind him, Haruka and the other four took the opportunity to ride their pigs forward, quickly knocking out the buried enemies one by one with blunt weapons. Their coordinated efforts ensured that the surrounding enemies posed no threat to them.
However, they were well aware that their ease was entirely due to Ishikawa Katori single-handedly tying up the main enemy force!
Looking around, one could see people constantly gathering from all directions towards Ishikawa Katori, who was at the center, charging at him fearlessly; Ishikawa Katori, meanwhile, was like a killing machine, continuously slaughtering the surrounding crowd.
Watching his figure, which was sometimes visible and sometimes not, even Ganju, who claimed to know Ishikawa Katori best, couldn't help but feel a sense of unfamiliarity!
Not only were there external changes in his demeanor and expression, but even Ishikawa Katori's combat techniques were extremely unfamiliar to him. Besides Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kido—the three major combat techniques—were all exploited with superb mastery by Ishikawa Katori.
Especially Hakuda, the stances looked simple, but Ishikawa Katori seemed able to accurately pinpoint the vital points of the human body. Often, just a simple punch was enough to instantly kill an enemy!
However, regarding Ishikawa Katori, Ganju was different from Haruka and the other four. He only wondered about Ishikawa Katori's transformation and marveled at his strength, without feeling any fear towards the devil-like figure in the field.
He just felt that this brat was very dishonest, having hidden so much from him for so long.
Because…
No matter what Ishikawa Katori had become now, Ganju knew that he had done so for their sake.
Watching the enemies continuously surging towards them, Ganju shouted to Haruka and the others: "You escape through the gap Ishikawa Katori pointed out. No matter what happens, don't look back." Before his words finished, Ganju charged towards the direction of the surging enemies!
He wouldn't leave Ishikawa Katori alone here, especially since these people were coming for him. If he ran out with Haruka and the other four, the enemy would surely put all their effort into intercepting them.
While charging, Ganju formed hand seals, striking one Stone Wave mark after another onto the ground.
Buzz~~
When the last mark fell, the Reishi in the area covered by the Stone Wave marks immediately began to riot. Amidst the buzzing of the air, Ganju slammed his hands heavily onto the ground!
"Shiba-Style Stone Wave Art Secret Technique: Consecutive Stone Wave Fan!"
Boom boom boom~~~
The hard ground instantly turned into quicksand, separating the incoming reinforcements from Ishikawa Katori's location. Anyone who stepped into the quicksand area was swallowed by it, as if sinking into a swamp.
…
Behind Ganju, at the very center of the battlefield.
"Dangling Persimmon!"
Ishikawa Katori raised his left hand, catching a kick aimed at his head, then thrust out his right fist. With a pull and a strike, the attacker seemed to willingly present their vital point to Ishikawa Katori's right fist.
Bang!
A dull thud sounded, the man in front of Ishikawa Katori's back bulged, then burst open, raising a cloud of blood mist!
After delivering this blow, Ishikawa Katori didn't hesitate, sliding out to avoid an incoming blade while charging towards an opponent on his right.
Among the four Shinigami techniques, Ishikawa Katori's Hakuda mastery was undoubtedly the strongest. So-called Hakuda was not just ordinary fisticuffs; it was a special technique that combined spiritual pressure with punches and kicks, unleashing immense destructive power at the moment of impact.
And close-quarters melee was undoubtedly the most suitable battlefield for using Hakuda. The diverse Hakuda techniques allowed him to find the most appropriate response in any situation.
Upon impact, the opponent either died instantly or was severely wounded.
"Hm?"
Suddenly, Ishikawa Katori's figure paused. He raised his right palm inward to protect the side of his head, letting out a low shout: "Bakudo Number Eight: Repulsion."
Reishi condensed, forming a layer of Reishi shield on the back of his right hand.
Bang—!
Almost at the instant the shield formed, an explosion sounded. Ishikawa Katori felt a massive force collide with the Reishi shield, and his entire body was uncontrollably pushed sideways, sliding across the ground for over ten meters before he regained his balance.
After stopping, Ishikawa Katori turned his head and saw a burly man, two meters tall, enter his vision. It was precisely the strongest leader among this group.
The spiritual pressure emanating from him was even stronger than that of the 'High-Level Seated Officer' Ishikawa Katori had once seen in District 1.
"Kido!?"
Daimaru's eyes flashed brightly, his gaze fixed on Ishikawa Katori's right hand, which had blocked his kick.
Indeed, he hadn't been mistaken earlier; this black-haired youth could indeed use Kido!
Has he finally entered the fray himself?
Ishikawa Katori turned sideways, dodging an incoming long saber, and at the same time, punched the attacker in the back, causing him to spit blood and fall to the ground.
However, Ishikawa Katori didn't even glance at this person. From beginning to end, his gaze never left Daimaru. Even if all the surrounding people were added together, they brought far less pressure than this burly man.
Just then, Daimaru moved. His tall frame stepped forward. Although he didn't use Shunpo, with the enhancement of spiritual pressure, his speed was still extremely fast. And when his massive body ran, Ishikawa Katori felt a fierce oppressive force rushing towards him, his eyes flashing with extreme vigilance.
"Die!"
Daimaru raised his fist, and the azure spiritual pressure around his body visibly surged! The air shrieked under the compression of this punch. Before he even got close, the strong wind had already impacted Ishikawa Katori's body.
Although he hadn't received systematic training, through nearly two centuries of life-or-death struggles in District 79, Daimaru had also developed some techniques for using spiritual pressure. It could be said that even against some Low Level Seat Officers, he could fight them, and even defeat them!
Feeling the surging punch, Ishikawa Katori's eyes flashed with a cold light.
Dazzling spiritual pressure materialized. Daimaru, within it, was like a fierce giant bear. When he rushed in front of Ishikawa Katori, he sprang up from the ground, punching down at Ishikawa Katori's head!
Even Ganju, who was behind the battlefield, cutting off reinforcements, couldn't help but turn his head towards Ishikawa Katori's location under this powerful spiritual pressure, startled in his heart.
He, who had always prided himself as the 'strongest in West Rukongai,' never expected such a strong spiritual pressure to come not from the Shinigami he despised, but from a person of Rukongai who was 'not a Shinigami.'
"Bakudo Number Thirty: Shitotsu Sansen!"
Just then, Ishikawa Katori suddenly let out a low shout. Reishi condensed into three giant beak-shaped beams of light, heading towards Daimaru in front of him.
Daimaru's face sank, but having already rushed in front of Ishikawa Katori, it was too late for him to dodge. He could only watch as the three giant beak-shaped beams clamped his hands and waist respectively, pausing his leaping, downward-smashing posture for an instant.
And in that instant, Ishikawa Katori activated Shunpo, quickly widening the distance from Daimaru.
Crack crack crack…
But it was only for an instant. Cracks appeared on the three beams of light, which were instantly broken through by Daimaru. This scene made Daimaru pause, and he landed where Ishikawa Katori had previously stood, letting out a sneer:
"Hahaha… What is this? A child's acrobatics?"
Ishikawa Katori appeared ten meters away, his brow slightly furrowed.
Indeed, using Low Level [Incantation Abandonment] to instantly cast Bakudo Number Thirty or higher provided almost no binding effect on the enemy.
However…
This was already enough.
Ishikawa Katori's lips curved into a smile. He pointed a finger and rapidly chanted: "Scattered clouds and rain, the scorching brilliance of the mountaintop…"
Thunder rumbled, and azure electric arcs rapidly condensed on Ishikawa Katori's index finger.
This scene made Daimaru frown, and a strong sense of crisis surged within him.
He can't be allowed to continue releasing it!
Years of combat experience made him unhesitatingly choose to quickly rush towards Ishikawa Katori.
"…Flowing fire, spirit restraint, the fangs of the azure prison!"
Ishikawa Katori's chanting did not stop there. When Daimaru rushed in front of him, the lightning on his fingertip had already reached its peak intensity, with continuous thunderous roars emanating from within!
"Hadō No. 4: Byakurai!!"
Boom~~~
Deafening thunder roared across the entire battlefield. The lightning, carrying immense impact, left a straight trench on the ground wherever it passed.
Daimaru's expression changed, and he dodged with all his might.
But the lightning was too fast. Even though he made a dodging motion at the first instant, his right half of his body was still within the lightning's attack range.
Upon realizing this, Daimaru's eyes flashed with ruthlessness. He actually gave up dodging and instead concentrated all his spiritual pressure on his right fist, punching directly into the lightning!!
Boom!
The collision of fist and lightning caused a wave of impact to spread, and the soil beneath Daimaru's feet flew into the sky.
The two, for a moment, were in a stalemate!
Ishikawa Katori's expression hardened upon seeing this. Although he knew higher-numbered Hado, they were all Low Level, and their power was even inferior to Byakurai.
This Byakurai was already his most powerful Kido.
Yet, the burly man in front of him had managed to withstand it with his formidable spiritual pressure!
…
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