"Oh dear, Ito Fourth Seat is truly cruel—letting that Adjuchas escape just like that."
"To capture such a powerful Adjuchas, I sacrificed quite a number of subordinates. I even intended to use him as the scapegoat for killing these nobles."
Kazumichi Asayuki gazed toward the direction where Wonderweiss and Fleur had vanished, her tone filled with exaggerated regret.
"Oh? So the Xia Dalulu Head admits that she deliberately imprisoned that Adjuchas, leaked his aura to lure his companions to rescue him, and then used the resulting chaos to slaughter the other nobles?"
Ito Makoto looked at her with a faint, amused smile.
"Ito Fourth Seat, I have no idea what you are talking about."
"Wasn't it simply that during the hunting tournament an unknown Menos Grande suddenly invaded, killing all the nobles participating in the hunt? And that Xia Dalulu Head Kazumichi Asayuki, together with Eleventh Division Fourth Seat Ito Makoto, eliminated the invading Menos to avenge those unfortunate victims?"
She laughed lightly.
"Hahaha… Ito Fourth Seat, what do you think of my proposal?"
As she spoke, the strange silver-white Bakuyōtō in her hand writhed. Instantly, countless mercury-like tendrils surged upward from the ground and shot toward Ito Makoto like spears.
For a moment her lips curved with satisfaction, believing she had pierced him.
Yet the figure dissolved.
It was merely an afterimage.
The real Ito Makoto had already appeared behind her in a burst of Shunpo, his blade slashing downward.
At the same instant, a powerful vibration spread through Kazumichi Asayuki's body. Numbness flooded her limbs, momentarily hindering her movements.
Even the mercury surrounding her began to ripple, trembling like disturbed water.
"These mercury tendrils actually absorbed most of my vibration force?"
Ito Makoto was momentarily stunned. This was the first time he had encountered something capable of resisting the tremor power of Annihilation God so effectively.
At the same time, the spiritual pressure erupting from Kazumichi Asayuki was astonishing. With the Bakuyōtō in hand, her Reiatsu had risen to true Captain level no weaker than Ito Makoto's own power after borrowing thirty percent from his main body.
In fact, it even surpassed it slightly.
The tremor effect therefore achieved little.
Moreover, maintaining the Four Directions Realm over several kilometers to block outside observation was draining his Reiatsu rapidly. The battle had to end quickly.
Fortunately, the realm's intrinsic suppression and amplification effects remained intact regardless of its size. Kazumichi Asayuki's strength, speed, and spiritual pressure were suppressed by thirty percent, while Ito Makoto's were enhanced.
Thus even with Captain-level Reiatsu from the Bakuyōtō, she was still forced onto the defensive.
Just as his descending strike was about to sever her head, mercury erupted and wrapped around her body.
Ito Makoto immediately retreated.
From his previous observations, entering within a foot of that strange mercury meant being affected by its time-stagnation ability.
"Hadō #54 Haien."
He extended a finger. A disk-shaped flame shot forward toward Kazumichi Asayuki.
Yet the mercury surged again, forming a shield that completely blocked the Kidō.
"I never imagined that after so much effort after feeding my Bakuyōtō with so much noble blood it still wouldn't be enough to defeat you."
Her voice drifted from behind the liquid shield.
"Ito Fourth Seat… you are truly strong. A very captivating man."
"Bakuyōtō devours the host's spiritual pressure," Ito Makoto said calmly while circling. "Why slaughter so many nobles with it?"
Despite the deadly battle, the two spoke as though they were acquaintances chatting.
"I didn't expect Makoto-kun to know so many secrets of the Xia Dalulu Family." Kazumichi Asayuki laughed softly. "My Bakuyōtō is somewhat special. Besides consuming the host's Reiatsu, it also enjoys devouring the true blood of nobles."
"And I certainly have no intention of being devoured myself."
"So naturally… they must make the sacrifice."
As she spoke, the sky filled again with mercury tentacles surging toward him.
"Annihilation God Third Style: Mustard Net."
A vast black net manifested in midair, trapping the incoming mercury streams.
Seizing the opening, Ito Makoto flashed forward with Shunpo, raising Annihilation God high before bringing it down with a lethal slash.
But at the crucial moment
A snow-white python shot from Kazumichi Asayuki's left sleeve and bit deeply into Ito Makoto's right shoulder with lightning speed.
An icy chill instantly spread through his entire body.
Yet Ito Makoto did not retreat.
He was a warrior of Kenpachi's division. Having drawn his blade, retreat without gain was unacceptable.
Enduring the freezing pain, he forced his attack through.
His blade cut across her shoulder.
Blood blossomed instantly.
Just as he pressed forward to cleave her in two, the trapped mercury finally tore free of the Mustard Net and surged back to defend.
Ito Makoto had no choice but to withdraw.
The mercury flowed over her wounded shoulder. Within moments, the severed flesh was restored completely, though her torn Shinigami uniform remained split, revealing a pale and graceful shoulder.
Meanwhile the white python that had bitten Ito Makoto coiled back into her hand and transformed into an Asauchi.
"Makoto-kun, don't forget… I am also a Shinigami."
"This is my Zanpakutō White Dragon Fish Kiss."
"How does it feel?"
Ito Makoto glanced at the two ugly fang marks on his shoulder, feeling the cold poison coursing through his body.
"A Zanpakutō truly reflects its wielder's spirit," he said calmly. "Your blade suits you perfectly, Xia Dalulu Head."
Unexpectedly, instead of anger, Kazumichi Asayuki laughed softly.
"Makoto-kun, I'll accept that as praise."
"This disturbance has grown far too large. At this rate we will not decide a victor anytime soon, and Captain-class reinforcements will arrive shortly."
"How about we end our fight here for today?"
With that, she actually sheathed both her Zanpakutō and Bakuyōtō and walked directly toward him utterly ignoring Annihilation God resting against her throat.
The blade cut lightly into her slender neck, fresh blood sliding down its edge onto Ito Makoto's hand.
"Relax, Makoto-kun," she whispered softly. "I'm helping you detoxify."
Ignoring the blood flowing freely from her neck, she stepped closer.
Then, rising on her toes, she pressed her lips against the wound on Ito Makoto's shoulder where the python had bitten him.
"You crazy woman… what exactly are you trying to do?"
Her voice remained calm.
"A wound from White Dragon Fish Kiss carries cold poison. Even with Captain-level Reiatsu, you would take a very long time to purge it yourself."
"My saliva happens to be the only antidote."
As her words fell, the icy sensation spreading through Ito Makoto's body vanished completely.
The moment his body returned to normal, he used Shunpo to retreat several meters away. He had no interest in entangling himself with a woman as dangerous as a venomous serpent.
"Whoosh."
Mercury poured again from Kazumichi Asayuki's sleeve, sealing the wound on her neck instantly.
"Makoto-kun," she said softly, gazing into his eyes, "can you tell me how you learned the secret of the Bakuyōtō?"
Ito Makoto remained unmoved.
"Take a guess."