Clang!
The Asauchi in Suō Tsukasa's hand slammed head-on into the huge claw of the Serpent-Tail Hollow. A visible shockwave of Reiryoku burst outward from the two of them, instantly sweeping away all the scattered gravel and dust on the ground.
The ear-piercing clang of metal violently erupted, and sparks flew in all directions from the intersection of the blade and the claw.
"How is that possible?! How did his Reiryoku suddenly become so much stronger!"
The Serpent-Tail Hollow's scarlet pupils contracted sharply. The scene of flesh and blood flying that it had anticipated did not occur.
A powerful backlash traveled from the tip of its claw, leaving its entire arm slightly numb.
The Reiryoku of the black-haired boy before it was completely different from the intensity it had sensed just moments ago.
Shinigami and Hollows both rely on the spiritual power within their bodies to fight.
Generally speaking, it is usually difficult to control the release amount of one's Reiryoku during combat.
It's like a dam: once the water starts flowing, the fierce current naturally tears open the breach, flowing faster and faster, and becoming more difficult to contain.
During combat, the acceleration of the spiritual power flow causes the overflowing Reiryoku to naturally increase, and the consumption of spiritual power becomes increasingly uncontrollable.
However, with his superb control technique, Suō Tsukasa had already surpassed this rudimentary level.
He was able to stably control the intensity of his Reiryoku throughout the previous engagement, maintaining it at a level only slightly stronger than the other two.
The intensity of Reiryoku is the easiest means of deception in combat.
This was not only Suō Tsukasa's habit of concealing himself but also a deliberate deception specifically designed for the moment before the fight.
Suō Tsukasa used the force of the collision to drift back several meters, standing firm with his sword drawn.
His expression remained calm. An inexplicable emotion was slowly awakened beneath his black eyes.
A kind of slightly stimulating excitement began to quietly spread beneath his tranquil heart.
"The speed is average, the strength is decent."
He gently flexed his wrist. That single block just now gave him a clearer understanding of the Serpent-Tail Hollow's power.
Unlike his usual sparring, he was typically accommodated by the instructors during practice.
But today, the initiative was entirely in his hands.
"Is that all you've got?"
Suō Tsukasa looked at the startled and uncertain Serpent-Tail Hollow. He casually extended his left index finger forward, lightly beckoning it, employing a provocation.
The action was mocking and disdainful, but his eyes were as placid as still water. The means of provocation seemed low-level, but its utility was high.
The string of rationality in the Serpent-Tail Hollow's mind snapped instantly.
"I'll tear your body apart, chew it up, and swallow it bite by bite! Little brat!"
The Serpent-Tail Hollow roared in fury. Its remaining caution was utterly cast aside.
Its massive body burst forth with even greater Reiryoku, rushing towards Suō Tsukasa again with the mad momentum of crushing everything in its path.
Claws, the snake-tail, and the widely opened gigantic mouth all transformed into deadly weapons, attacking purely with brute physical strength in the most primitive, wild manner, utterly without any set pattern.
The fierce claws ripped through the air, and the snake-tail swept and whipped vertically. Suō Tsukasa's figure nimbly darted through the dense barrage of attacks.
The Asauchi in his hand seemed to have a life of its own. Every block landed precisely on the weakest point of the opponent's attack.
While minimizing the impact force, he didn't forget to leave wounds on the Serpent-Tail Hollow's body.
The jarring clang of metal continuously rang out, and the sparks flying illuminated his calm face hidden behind the flashes of the blade.
On both sides of the battlefield, Kenta Takahashi and Taichi Kawata were locked in difficult combat with two smaller Hollows.
Taichi Kawata's situation was relatively stable, but Kenta Takahashi was clearly struggling against the fierce assault of the One-Eyed Hollow, and his Reiryoku fluctuations were somewhat erratic.
"Hado #4: Byakurai."
In a momentary flash between dodges, a bolt of white lightning shot out from Suō Tsukasa's fingertip, piercing the Achilles tendon of the One-Eyed Hollow just as it was about to exert force.
"Gah—!"
The One-Eyed Hollow howled in pain and fell to its knees. Kenta Takahashi seized this precious winning opportunity, immediately regrouped, and slashed out with his sword.
The situation instantly reversed. The One-Eyed Hollow could only manage a clumsy defense, no longer possessing its previous arrogance and ferocity.
"He actually has the leisure to pay attention to others!?"
The Serpent-Tail Hollow saw that Suō Tsukasa still had the mind to focus on his companion's battle, completely disregarding it. This direct humiliation maxed out its rage meter once again.
It suddenly opened its mouth and took a deep breath. Its chest violently heaved, Reiryoku surging, and a purplish-black venom gathered into a ball in its throat.
Pffft!
The venom rained down, spraying out in all directions toward Suō Tsukasa.
"Bakudo #39: Enkosen!"
Suō Tsukasa's gaze remained unchanged. He pointed his finger.
A spinning circular Reishi shield unfolded instantly, blocking all the lethal venom and stirring up a patch of pungent white smoke.
Taking advantage of the instant the toxic smoke obscured both parties' vision, the Serpent-Tail Hollow's enormous body took the opportunity to rush forward, its sharp claws descending with a powerful gust of wind.
The fierce claw-wind tore open the white smoke, completely shattering the circular Reishi shield, but the area behind it was already empty.
The Serpent-Tail Hollow turned its head in shock, only to see that Suō Tsukasa had somehow circled to its side, his blade pointed directly at its flank. "Ryūkansen!" Dragon Coil Flash)
Slice—
A long, narrow wound was abruptly carved onto the Serpent-Tail Hollow, running from its flank all the way to its neck. Blood splattered everywhere.
"Ugh."
Its massive body violently trembled. The intense pain forced a muffled groan from it.
It started to feel fear.
Blood was being lost, wounds were increasing, Reiryoku was weakening, and terror was gradually spreading in its heart.
Throughout its long hunting career, it had fought Shinigami before.
But none were as tricky and terrifying as the young man before it, whose defense was watertight, giving it no flaw to exploit.
Every single attack was easily defused, only resulting in new wounds for itself.
The hesitation in its mind made its offensive less relentless. It unconsciously began to focus on blocking and dodging.
It also tried to put distance between itself and Suō Tsukasa, but Suō Tsukasa's figure was like a ghost, following its every move, each step hitting the most uncomfortable rhythm point during its retreat.
Forcing it to abruptly stop its backward momentum, compelling it to face the cold blade.
Clang—
Hiss—
The sound of blocking and the sound of the blade slicing through flesh and spraying blood alternated.
The Serpent-Tail Hollow felt like it had become a piece of living meat pressed onto a cutting board, being vivisected one slice at a time.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
The Serpent-Tail Hollow let out the roar of a cornered beast, its voice warped by fear.
The cornered beast was fighting, but pain and weakness slowed its movement, and its offensive and defensive forms were distorted.
After several exchanges of claws and blade, Suō Tsukasa realized that the weakened beast before him no longer held any value. "Ryūshōsen!" (Dragon Soar Flash)
Suō Tsukasa's figure flashed, appearing in front of the Serpent-Tail Hollow, the tip of his blade arcing downwards from a high point.
The Serpent-Tail Hollow had no time to react, only seeing a flash before its eyes.
There was no huge sound, only a silvery-white light, condensed to the extreme, quickly sweeping past the pale mask on its face and past its massive body.
The Serpent-Tail Hollow's enormous body stiffened in place. It instinctively lowered its head, looking at its chest.
Everything that had just happened flashed back in its mind.
The calm gaze of the black-haired boy at first sight, instead of the expected nervousness and defensiveness of being ambushed.
Its own uncontrolled fury after being provoked, the powerlessness of its attacks being easily resolved, and the opponent's composure even when distracted to support a companion.
It should have noticed these irregularities earlier.
It never thought that after escaping the pursuit of Shinigami for over a decade, it would fall to this seemingly ordinary young man.
With profound unwillingness and regret, the next moment, a hairline-thin black line appeared right in the center of the Serpent-Tail Hollow's mask.
Immediately following, its head, neck, and torso split neatly into two halves along the trajectory of that black line.
The two halves of the body silently slid to either side, and before they completely fell to the ground, they had already shattered into Reishi, dissipating into the night.
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