"Perfect. I've been waiting for you to say that."
Kisaragi Akira rolled up both sleeves with a look of eager anticipation. Truthfully, he'd wanted to punch that lightning beast since the moment he saw it. If Yoruichi hadn't insisted on fighting it herself at first, he would've rushed in shoulder to shoulder.
With a creature like this, there was no need for talk of honor or fair duels.If you can gang up, why fight one-on-one?
Warrior's pride? Bushido spirit?Akira had zero idea what that even meant.
"I'll take point. You support."Yoruichi threw out the line, her expression turning fierce. Her toned legs coiled like springs—and the next instant, she shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, streaking straight toward the lightning beast.
Akira stayed where he was, watching her sleek, swift figure cut through the air.He opened his mouth… then closed it again.
"Why does it feel like she stole my line…?"
Ahead, Yoruichi and the lightning beast clashed once more, their battle escalating into a fierce deadlock. Techniques intertwined, sparks rained, and thunder shook the air.
Born into the Shihōin clan, raised among the elite of the Soul Reapers, Yoruichi had trained since childhood. She'd mastered a wide arsenal of combat skills.
Hakuda, Hohō—she was leagues beyond her peers.
Watching her fight was genuinely mesmerizing.
She danced on the razor's edge of danger, weaving through death like a phantom.
The lightning beast, on the other hand, was pure brute force—All muscle, all thunder, all overwhelming pressure.Its natural lightning and massive frame were weapons all by themselves.
"Kaidō Number Thirty-One: Shakkahō."
Since Akira couldn't join the fight directly, the fun was cut in half. All he could do was stand at the battlefield's edge and lazily lob Shakkahō blasts to interfere.
Lightning-wrapped claws clashed against spiritual-pressure-packed fists, scattering dazzling sparks.Every impact sent shockwaves rolling out in layers—like relentless tides hammering toward the edge of the world.
Raw power tore through the heavy, storm-thick air.Low-hanging clouds were ripped apart, revealing writhing veins of lightning inside.
And just then—Akira's latest Shakkahō slammed into the creature's hide, exploding in a spray of fiery brilliance.
BOOM!
The red fireball spread across its lightning-fur like an ink blot, leaving behind a deep, charred mark that refused to fade.
Seeing this, Yoruichi's eyes widened.
She couldn't understand it.His spiritual pressure was clearly weaker than hers—So how was his Shakkahō that strong?
Could this be what Uramichi Tessai meant…?A natural genius in Kidō?
Its golden hide scorched, the lightning beast erupted in a furious roar, unleashing strength far beyond what it had shown before.
Yoruichi, who had been clashing with it up close, was swatted aside once again.
Akira stepped precisely into her path, arms open—and caught her neatly in a princess carry.
"Oh fair maiden, do you wish to continue?"
Yoruichi grit her teeth, furious and unwilling to give up."This time you take the lead!"
"As you wish, my honored guest."
Gently setting the flustered girl down, Akira faced the roaring lightning beast.A fierce spark lit in his eyes.
He'd been wanting to test his strength for a while now.But at the Spiritual Arts Academy, nobody could fight him seriously.And he definitely wasn't about to go pick a fight with Aizen.
Halfhearted sparring never stirred the fire in his chest.
Only by dancing at the edge of life and death could he savor the true taste of battle.
Yoruichi stared at him blankly.
Why did this boy turn into a completely different person the moment a battle started?
He had been so unserious just seconds ago…
Wait—Why was he smiling?!
An ominous chill crawled up her spine.
Before she could grab him, his figure vanished.
When Akira appeared again, he was already standing right before the lightning beast.
Despite being barely human-sized compared to the mountain-like monster, their auras clashed on equal footing.
The beast stiffened—wariness flashing in its eyes.
"Hadō Thirty-Three: Sōkatsui—Aoki no Entei!"
A wild laugh mixed with incantation spilled from Akira's lips, and a spectacular scene unfolded.Red-blue flame erupted, igniting the very air and sending the battlefield into pure white heat.
"That— that's Sōkatsui!?"
Watching the towering pillar of flame surge upward like blood-red fire, Yoruichi was dumbfounded.
She had never seen Sōkatsui released in such an absurd, reality-bending way.
Thunderous silver lightning roared, pushing the battle to yet another peak.Shrieking Kidō signatures wove through the storm, creating a breathtaking tapestry of light.
Layer upon layer of Kidō erupted, burying the giant beast in a flood of brilliance.
This was—A tsunami of Kidō.
"A natural-born Kidō master…"Yoruichi whispered, stunned."No wonder Tessai said that if he doesn't join the Kidō Corps, it'll be a massive loss to the Seireitei."
"What kind of normal person fires off that many spells in one go…?!"
While Yoruichi reeled, Akira was only getting started.
Thanks to his increased spiritual pressure, his stamina was better than usual.
The opening salvo had been to probe.Now it was time to overwhelm.
Red Smoke Step spread outward, engulfing the lightning beast in thick crimson fog.Sharp birdlike screeches followed—then came the explosive burst of red flame.
Hidden within the red smoke were flashes of Byakurai and Shakkahō.
Red-Smoke White-Thunder Cannon.
And then—
Praise the sun.
Lightning raged.Heat swelled.Thunder chained upward into the heavy clouds.
A blinding pillar of light burst forth.
The wasteland cracked open beneath the beast.Light surged like a flood, drowning its enraged roar.
Firestorm gales swept outward, carrying burning ash.The ground trembled, dust spiraling into a massive whirlwind, beating outward with each pulse of thunder.
Akira raised his right hand high.The properties of Byakurai and Shakkahō twisted together, forging a brilliant blade of lightning-fire in his palm.
"Hadō—Raika Ken!"
He shouted the name with a straight face—then charged recklessly forward.
Though the beast's body was burnt and charred, its resistance to lightning kept it fighting strong.
To bring it down…Akira needed to be even more ruthless.
Yoruichi's pupils shrank.
She suddenly realized—Letting Kisaragi Akira take point…might not have been the best idea.
When his battle spirit ignited, he became a completely different creature.
Without hesitation, she forced her battered body to move, Shunpoing ahead to lend support.
Shihōin Sword Style—Oboro!
Under the torn storm clouds, moonlight shimmered faintly.
At that fleeting moment, the lightning-fire in Akira's palm crackled violently, unleashing its brightest radiance—like a full moon at its zenith.
The lightning beast roared and summoned a heavenly bolt.Pure destruction fell from above, shredding everything in its path.
When both sides collided, the storm clouds tearing across the sky were ripped apart again and again.Aftershocks ravaged the land, shockwaves ripping outward in every direction.
Akira was flung back instantly—and crashed into something soft.
Yoruichi caught him, arms wrapped around him, and together they plowed across the ground, carving two long trenches before finally collapsing into the ash.