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First time?
Ikkaku Madarame was stunned, but Ishikawa Katori didn't give him time to question.
Standing in place, the eerie aura around Ishikawa Katori intensified, but compared to the original pure eeriness, with the wooden sword in hand, Ishikawa Katori's aura now had an indescribable strangeness mixed in.
The next second, Ishikawa Katori suddenly took a step forward, his figure flickered, and he vanished instantly.
Shunpo!
Ikkaku Madarame's expression darkened, and with a flick of his wrist, the wooden sword, held vertically in front of him, suddenly swung horizontally.
The wooden sword cut through the air, and the powerful Reiatsu it contained instantly shattered the air touching the blade's surface, giving one the illusion of a distorted blade.
The wooden sword accurately struck Ishikawa Katori's body, but the empty feeling in his hand immediately made Ikkaku Madarame realize that the strike had missed.
He was about to withdraw his sword and retreat.
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared in the lower part of his vision.
A thrust.
Ikkaku Madarame's gaze instantly locked onto Ishikawa Katori, who had ducked low to evade and was launching an attack from his lower side.
This is the first time!?
A strange thought crossed Ikkaku Madarame's mind, but he had no time to ponder; with a flick of his wrist, amidst crisp air explosions, the wooden sword brought with it a blurry afterimage, meeting that flash of light with incredible precision.
Bang!
The tips of the two wooden swords collided with extreme precision, grazing past each other in an instant, as if by agreement, both simultaneously thrusting their wooden swords towards the other.
Ikkaku Madarame distorted his left shoulder, and Ishikawa Katori's thrusting wooden sword almost grazed his shoulder, while Ishikawa Katori, on the opposite side, activated Shunpo the moment his attack missed, disappearing from Ikkaku Madarame's sight once again.
Such fast Shunpo.
A hint of seriousness flashed in Ikkaku Madarame's eyes; the Shunpo Ishikawa Katori displayed was extremely refined, even stronger than many Vice-Captains he had seen, which made him wonder if the other party was a resident of Rukongai.
Because villains who directly joined the Gotei 13 from Rukongai generally shared a common trait: they were only skilled in weapon and unarmed combat, also known as Zanjutsu and Hakuda, and were not particularly proficient in Shunpo and Kido, including Ikkaku Madarame himself.
However, in a fight, the faster side doesn't necessarily win.
Ikkaku Madarame slid backward with his feet, and as he turned sideways, he spun the wooden sword in his hand, thrusting a backhand strike behind him.
Missed again!
A sense of danger Attack came again, another identical thrust.
But…
Faster, more precise, and… more intricate than the previous strike.
Three consecutive thrusts!
Due to the extreme speed, these three strikes appeared almost simultaneously, aimed at Ikkaku Madarame's knee, waist, and neck respectively.
It really wasn't an illusion.
Ikkaku Madarame suddenly believed Ishikawa Katori's words, because this guy's Zanjutsu was strengthening at an astonishing speed; every time the two wooden swords met, that inexplicable unfamiliarity would decrease a little!
This discovery made Ikkaku Madarame's pupils widen, not just from shock, but more from the excitement and exhilaration brought by the boiling fighting spirit in his heart!!
Clap clap clap~
With a flick of the wooden sword in his hand, striking accurately, Ikkaku Madarame, using a backhand grip and relying solely on his instincts, precisely parried these tricky three consecutive thrusts with his wooden sword.
This scene made a hint of surprise flash in Ishikawa Katori's eyes.
But he didn't daze; instead, he launched the next round of offense without stopping.
As he said before, although he had never stopped practicing Zanjutsu, this was the first time he had used Zanjutsu in actual combat.
The feeling of being cut down by the opponent's sword if he made a single mistake made Ishikawa Katori's nerves almost stretch to their limit, because if he had used a real sword… the previous strike, if he had only used Zanjutsu to face the enemy, he might have already been cut in half at the waist.
His idea was not wrong.
Ishikawa Katori's mouth curved into a smirk; the moment the three consecutive thrusts were broken, he switched the sword to his left hand and swung it out fiercely.
The afterimage of the wooden sword swept past, and Ikkaku Madarame's bright bald head instantly came into Ishikawa Katori's view, Reiatsu surging on the wooden sword in his hand, descending with terrifying power in a horizontal slash.
Ishikawa Katori's expression remained unchanged, as he raised his right hand, propping his left hand's wooden sword against his elbow, holding it horizontally in front of him.
Bang!
Amidst a dull collision sound, Ishikawa Katori felt a huge force feedback from the blade, causing him to slide uncontrollably backward.
Ikkaku Madarame's eyes held a fervent battle spirit; at this moment, it was as if even his bald head became even more dazzling.
The next second.
Bang bang bang…
A wooden sword in his hand seemed to have a will of its own, striking down from various angles.
Amidst the storm of slashes, Ishikawa Katori could only passively change the angle of his blade's defense, but even so, his already tattered black work uniform was constantly torn by the overflowing sharpness, revealing the black shirt underneath.
Ishikawa Katori wanted to counterattack, but from his perspective, Ikkaku Madarame in front of him had almost no flaws. His Zanjutsu was simple and unadorned, yet he clearly understood his strengths and weaknesses, perfectly using his strengths to protect his weaknesses.
This was what Ishikawa Katori's Zanjutsu lacked the most…
Actual combat experience!
Compared to him, Ishikawa Katori's Zanjutsu seemed very theoretical.
He could see all of Ikkaku Madarame's moves, and even find ways to break them from the Zanjutsu knowledge in his mind, but often before he could break them, Ikkaku Madarame would have already used another attack technique to fill the loopholes in his previous attack.
Under the continuous cycle, flaws constantly appeared and disappeared, leaving Ishikawa Katori only able to respond exhaustedly, unable to find a way to break the current situation.
Retreating again and again!
This is what a true strong person is; any strong person, no matter how monotonous their techniques, will not have fatal weaknesses.
But Ishikawa Katori's heart remained calm; he constantly used Shunpo to compensate for the gap in Zanjutsu. Although he was on the defensive and would occasionally be hit due to a moment of hesitation, he defended against all attacks to vital areas.
As time passed, his defensive range also gradually expanded.
…
Inside the tavern, the villains crowded around the doorframes and windows, staring intently at the battle in the backyard.
"Ishikawa Boss is actually being beaten into passive defense?"
"You don't know anything. Duels between masters aren't about who hits more, but who falls first. Ishikawa Boss has defended against all vital attacks."
"What's the point of that? Even if it's not a vital area, getting hit too many times isn't good, right?"
"Yeah, look how many times Ishikawa Boss's shoulder has been cut. Even with a wooden sword, getting hit that many times would basically cripple an ordinary person's arm."
"…"
Listening to the discussions around them, Uzuki and Himura couldn't help but look nervous.
"Don't worry too much."
A voice came from behind them. Uzuki turned around and found that Nishijin Ori, who had been lying like a corpse in the tavern, had somehow joined them.
"That bastard isn't that easy to defeat." Nishijin Ori looked at the battle in the backyard, a strange light flashing in his eyes: "And this can't even be called a fight right now."
"Hmm?"
At these words, everyone couldn't help but look at Nishijin Ori.
"This isn't a fight?"
Ganju looked at Ishikawa Katori, who was being smashed and occasionally spitting blood, his mouth twitching slightly: "Have you been hit so hard you're stupid?"
"He's right."
Ayasegawa Yumichika, standing outside the tavern, said without turning his head: "This battle, rather than describing it as a fight, is more like… a training match. That kid named Ishikawa has been using Ikkaku's sword to familiarize himself with fighting with a sword."
"His Zanjutsu itself isn't weak, even stronger than most people in our Squad, but he has no practical combat experience. Every time he attacks, he has to think about the angle of attack and the opponent's response beforehand, but his hand movements can't keep up with his mind's thoughts at all. This is the fundamental reason why his Zanjutsu seems extremely unfamiliar."
"And Ikkaku also saw this point and didn't go all out; instead, he gradually increased the power of his attacks as the unfamiliarity of the opponent's Zanjutsu decreased."
Ayasegawa Yumichika's words made Ganju's mouth twitch slightly, feeling a strange sense of absurdity.
Ishikawa Katori has a problem, but does that bald guy also have a problem?
"What's wrong with your companion? He's actually helping his enemy get stronger?"
Ayasegawa Yumichika glanced at Ganju and sneered, "Hmph, Ikkaku wants to defeat a Ishikawa who is giving his all. Only by defeating that kid, Ishikawa, after he has adapted to using a sword in actual combat, can it be considered an equal fight."
Ayasegawa Yumichika looked at the battlefield. He understood Ikkaku very well. If it was just because the opponent was using a sword for the first time in actual combat, Ikkaku would never be so patient in stimulating the opponent's potential.
At present, rather than saying he was cultivating Ishikawa Katori like an elder, it was more like… he was eagerly anticipating a full-throttle battle with the grown Ishikawa Katori!
This was not underestimating the opponent, but rather treating the opponent as a true adversary.
Did Ikkaku sense something about him?
Although he had been observing the battle, not participating, he could only analyze the situation from the course of the fight.
Throughout the battle, that kid named Ishikawa Katori had always given him a strange sense of stiffness.
But he couldn't pinpoint where this stiffness came from.
"So that's it. I was wondering why Ishikawa Katori wasn't using his most proficient Kido and Hakuda," said Himura, looking enlightened.
"I'm actually more curious…"
Nishijin Ori's expression was as strange as could be: "When did this pervert learn Zanjutsu? I thought he was a pure close-combat enthusiast."
"Most proficient Kido and Hakuda?"
Ayasegawa Yumichika was startled, then, as if he had thought of something, he suddenly turned his head to look at the battlefield.
After staring intently for a while, his pupils suddenly constricted.
The offense and defense in the arena continued. Ishikawa Katori held the sword in his left hand to block, and his right hand swayed slightly to the left before quickly pressing against the back of the wooden sword to strengthen his defensive capability.
Just now, that was…
Almost instantly, Ayasegawa Yumichika's gaze fell upon that right hand.
So that's it.
He finally understood where that strange sense of stiffness came from.
Although Ikkaku was restraining himself, Ishikawa Katori was also restraining himself, restraining himself from using Hakuda techniques that were almost ingrained in his instincts. Every time he blocked an attack, he would instinctively use Hakuda to counterattack, but at the moment of striking, he would forcefully pull back his movement.
Although Ayasegawa Yumichika was not particularly skilled in Hakuda, he could at least empathize. If he were in Ikkaku's position, and that punch hadn't stopped, he might have been hit in vital areas like the neck and abdomen before he could react.
The reason Ikkaku was so patient in stimulating the opponent's potential was precisely because he felt the threat the opponent posed to him.
…
The excitement in Ishikawa Katori's eyes grew more intense.
Of course, it wasn't because he was bruised all over from being hit by the wooden sword; after all, he wasn't a masochist who got excited by pain…
The reason he was excited was entirely due to his rapid progress in Zanjutsu.
As the battle continued, he felt the wooden sword in his hand becoming increasingly comfortable to wield. It was as if the wooden sword had become a part of his body, and everything, from the length of the blade to the angle of the swing, felt so smooth.
Ishikawa Katori had two initial goals.
The first goal was to freely enter and exit Seireitei, which had been achieved after five and a half years.
The second goal was to obtain an Asauchi and activate his Zanpakuto.
Although this goal had not yet been achieved, it did not prevent him from practicing Zanjutsu, lest he acquire a Zanpakuto and be unable to use it in combat.
In fact, the moment he saw Ikkaku Madarame, he already had the idea of using him as a sparring partner for his Zanjutsu.
There were indeed people stronger than Ikkaku Madarame in the Gotei 13, but without exception, they were all Captain-level existences. Ishikawa Katori fighting them would likely result in an instant defeat, offering no growth whatsoever.
Among the Vice-Captains of the same rank, putting aside Zanpakuto abilities, purely in terms of Zanjutsu actual combat, Ikkaku Madarame could be said to be one of the strongest Zanjutsu practitioners among all Vice-Captains, and it might even be possible to remove the words 'one of'.
As far as Ishikawa Katori knew, several of the current and future Vice-Captains of the Gotei 13 learned Zanjutsu by following him.
With similar Reiatsu, Ikkaku Madarame was undoubtedly the most suitable sparring partner for Ishikawa Katori, allowing Ishikawa Katori to quickly become familiar with using weapons in actual combat.
"Hey!"
Ikkaku Madarame's voice came.
Bang—
The wooden sword was held horizontally in front of him, instinctively blocking a downward strike. Ishikawa Katori's pupils slightly constricted, and he felt the wooden sword in his hand become incredibly heavy.
"I've fulfilled your wish, now isn't it…" Ikkaku Madarame pressed the wooden sword down a few inches, actually forcing the wooden sword against Ishikawa Katori's neck. His shining bald head was almost touching Ishikawa's forehead as he said, word by word, "Also your turn to fulfill mine?"
Crack crack—
A crisp sound came. Following the sound, one could see that the wooden sword in Ishikawa Katori's hand, which was covered with a layer of Reiatsu, had dense cracks like glass, as if it would shatter in the next second.
Broken?
Ishikawa Katori frowned slightly. He was certain that the layer of Reiatsu covering the surface of the wooden sword had not collapsed, but the wooden sword under the protection of the Reiatsu had shattered.
Ignoring the Reiatsu defense, attacking the wooden sword's body?
The Reiatsu defense on the wooden sword was the same as how Ishikawa Katori used Reiatsu to reinforce his body's defense. This meant… if the wooden sword were replaced with Ishikawa, Ikkaku Madarame could also penetrate the Reiatsu defense and attack Ishikawa himself.
Ishikawa Katori removed the Reiatsu covering the wooden sword. The moment it lost Reiatsu, the wooden sword instantly turned into fragments.
Having lost the last layer of obstruction, the wooden sword in Ikkaku Madarame's hand slashed fiercely towards Ishikawa's neck.
On the blade, Reiatsu surged.
It was more violent than any previous strike; even if it was just a wooden sword, if it hit, it would be enough to sever Ishikawa Katori's neck.
However…
Just as the wooden sword was about to touch Ishikawa Katori, a trace of electric arc appeared out of thin air.
The next second.
A deep thunder, growing from small to large, and endless electric arcs spread out at an extremely fast speed, causing Ikkaku Madarame's pupils to constrict. He instinctively moved to draw his sword back.
But before he could make a move, a hand gripped the blade of the wooden sword.
Five fingers closed.
Bang!
The Reiatsu defense disintegrated in an instant, and the indestructible wooden sword turned into fragments in the blink of an eye.
Ikkaku Madarame only felt his vision blur. The Ishikawa Katori in front of him suddenly transformed into a bolt of lightning, disappearing from his sight amidst a roar.
But he did not attack, instead, it was as if he was waiting for something, even the thunder dissipated.
Ikkaku Madarame's expression was calm, but his heart was filled with awe.
The moment the lightning appeared, a warning sign suddenly arose in his heart, an extremely dangerous feeling, making all the hairs on his body stand on end.
The attack did not come, and Ikkaku Madarame was not surprised. Instead, he chuckled softly and extended his hand in a beckoning gesture.
"Kiyone."
Ayasegawa Yumichika in the pub seemed to have been prepared. Almost at the same time the words fell, he threw the Zanpakuto in his hand towards Ikkaku Madarame.
The moment Ikkaku Madarame grasped the Zanpakuto, deafening thunder roared again, just like the ringing of a bell in a boxing Kan, and endless lightning appeared in front of Ikkaku Madarame.
The lightning was reflected in his pupils, and Ikkaku Madarame instinctively blocked with his Zanpakuto in front of him.
An indescribable force came from the blade, sending Ikkaku Madarame flying like a kicked ball, transforming into a straight black shadow, crashing into the surrounding wall.
Thud!
The immense impact caused the wall to explode directly.
Ishikawa Katori stood where Ikkaku Madarame had been, lightning flashing around him, and the fighting intent in his eyes grew even stronger.
—Shunko!
After smashing through the wall, Ikkaku Madarame slid back another ten meters before stopping. Looking at his constantly trembling hands holding the sword, his face couldn't help but twitch.
This power…
Isn't it too strong?
What's with that state? Kido?
Forget it, who cares!!
"Allow me to introduce myself, I am Kenpachi Squad's 3rd Seat—Ikkaku Madarame!"
Ikkaku Madarame grinned. His Zanpakuto was unsheathed, the hilt connecting with the sheath, Reiatsu soared into the sky around him, and the blade and sheath were immediately enveloped in a burst of light.
"Extend—Hozukimaru!"
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