"Take this!"
Madarame Ikkaku let out a boisterous laugh, drew his Zanpakutō, and slashed downward. Raizen Kō (Ito Makoto) immediately retreated, narrowly avoiding the strike.
Then, with a swift leap, he gripped his sword with both hands, aiming a horizontal slash at Ikkaku's bald head.
Ikkaku, however, casually raised his right hand, blocking the blow with his sword sheath. In a seamless motion, he held the blade in his left hand and slashed toward Raizen Kō's waist.
"Whoosh!"
Raizen Kō activated Shunpo, creating distance with instantaneous speed.
"What's the matter, kid? Only dodging?
Come and face me head-on!"
Ikkaku held his sword in his left hand and the sheath in his right, striking simultaneously at Raizen Kō's face.
"As you wish!"
Raizen Kō danced around him, shifting positions with Shunpo, and reappeared behind Ikkaku. With a double-handed swing, he aimed a horizontal slash.
But Ikkaku had anticipated this. He twisted his head, threw his sheath with perfect timing, striking Raizen Kō's abdomen, then followed up with a sword slash across his chest.
Raizen Kō countered, slashing at Ikkaku's shoulder.
Both retreated, using Shunpo to reassess distance.
Raizen Kō's chest bore a dark line of blood, while Ikkaku held his sword in his left hand, his right shoulder bleeding profusely.
"Hahaha… this is enjoyable!"
The two of them laughed heartily, reveling in the bloodshed of their opening exchange.
Since the Zanjutsu examination months earlier, Raizen Kō had grown close to Ikkaku, and through him, he met Ayasegawa Yumichika. Both fighters shared a deep passion for combat, quickly forming a bond.
Over the past six months, Raizen Kō had sparred privately with Ikkaku more than ten times. The Zanjutsu he inherited from Ito Kai's memories had now been fully internalized, and he had developed his own refined techniques.
Early on, his skill was raw, often outmatched by Ikkaku, but now Raizen Kō could bring him to a standstill proof of his remarkable progress.
Mid-fight, Ikkaku smeared a grayish-brown ointment from his sheath onto his right shoulder, immediately stopping the bleeding.
"Ikkaku-senpai, you're cheating again."
Raizen Kō's mouth twitched, but he had long since grown accustomed to it.
Reaching into his sleeve, he retrieved the same grayish-brown ointment and applied it to his chest. The wound ceased bleeding.
"Damn it, you brought medicine too, kid!" Ikkaku bellowed.
"Didn't I learn from you, Senpai?" Raizen Kō replied, slightly speechless, silently thinking: If my main body fought you, you'd know what Speed Regeneration really is. That's real cheating.
Although, if his main body were here, Speed Regeneration might not even be necessary unless Ikkaku had mastered Bankai by this stage.
After a brief pause, the duel resumed. Raizen Kō grew more focused, adjusting his breathing, holding his sword firmly, and unleashing a series of consecutive slashes. Ikkaku was forced to retreat repeatedly.
Raizen Kō then infused his Asauchi with spiritual pressure, forming arcs of Hado #4 –
White Lightning along the blade, and swung it with precision.
"Boom!"
The resulting strike released a concussive wave, replicating Thunderclap Slash. White lightning arcs carried immense cutting force, striking toward Ikkaku.
Ikkaku rolled, narrowly avoiding the strike.
The blow left a deep fissure in the barren ground beside him, several meters deep.
This Thunderclap Slash was a technique inspired by Raizen Kō's main body, Yekawa. Since his clone did not inherit Flash Lightning, Raizen Kō substituted Shinigami Kido, imbuing the blade with perfected Hado #4 energy. Though inferior to the original, the effect was devastating.
Ikkaku's eyes narrowed, secretly astonished:
"What a freak of a kid… every exchange is stronger than the last. In just six months, his Zanjutsu and spiritual pressure have advanced this much!"
He stopped holding back. Aligning his sword and sheath, he shouted:
"Extend, Hozukimaru!"
A flash of white light engulfed Ikkaku's Asauchi and sheath, transforming them into a long wooden spear with a short blade tip and a red tassel at the end. His speed and spiritual pressure surged with the Shikai release.
With Shunpo, Ikkaku thrust toward Raizen Kō's face, the spearhead darting like a striking serpent..
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Sparks flew as Raizen Kō parried, the impacts echoing through the training area.
"Now!"
He exploited the brief intervals between Ikkaku's thrusts, slicing horizontally. Hozukimaru split into a three-section staff, chains wrapping around Raizen Kō's sword. The curved spearhead lunged for the back of his head.
"Whoosh!"
Raizen Kō vanished in an afterimage, appearing behind Ikkaku.
"Oh, Ikkaku-senpai… didn't I warn you that the same trick doesn't work twice?"
Ikkaku gritted his teeth, aware of Raizen Kō's improvement.
"Hado #31 – Akahō! (Red Flame Cannon)"
Raizen Kō created distance, summoned the crimson orb, and launched it at Ikkaku's bald head. Ikkaku twirled Hozukimaru, barely blocking the attack. Smoke and sparks erupted as the Shakkahō collided with the spear.
Coughing slightly, Ikkaku emerged, disheveled but unharmed.
"Chi… Ito, kid, why cheat with Kido? A real fight is only fun up close!"
"Didn't you cheat first, Senpai?" Raizen Kō shot back with a wry grin.
Ayasegawa Yumichika, witnessing the duel, scowled:
"Are you two children? Stop bickering and fight!"
Ikkaku turned to Raizen Kō, smiling despite his frustration:
"You've mastered that, haven't you? Show me everything you've learned."
Raizen Kō sighed, knowingly:
"I was going to wait until Seireitei officially granted me an Asauchi, but since Senpai insists… I'll show you anyway."
"Chi…"