[Isane's POV]
I didn't know what happened. All I knew was that I rushed at him, aiming at one of the endless flaws he was exposing me. And before I knew, he engaged in Hakuda, and I was on the ground.
'Was that even Hakuda…?'
Hakuda's wrapping couldn't be compared to the roguish kick to hell that I received. Although I dare say, more than the kick, it was the speed at which he did it. His contemptuous words made me stand up swiftly to face it again, rethinking my approach.
"Come on, Isane…"
Although I couldn't quite believe that he had defeated Captain Zaraki, there was no doubt that he had defeated both Gin-san and Madarame. He's not someone I can't defeat. But I also can't just show myself as an infant in front of him. If a 'weakling' like me is the lieutenant of the 4th Division, what will he think of Unohana Taisho?
I gained a stance and remained still. He seemed to catch onto my intention.
"You want me to go? Haha, very well".
He lounged at me with an impractical posture. He swung his sword downward with his right hand towards my right hip. I instinctively blocked on that side, thought about counterattacking, but halted instead.
*CLANG!*
I felt the terrible force from his strike, clenched my teeth to resist and prepared for his next strike after bouncing. This time it should be a long strike from the left. So I prepared to block there as well, worried that he'd be waiting for my counter... wondering what flaw I could capitalise.
But no such thing happened.
*BAANG!*
He kicked my sword!?
The strength increased several-fold and I felt my legs detach from the floor. My sword was blown away... next thing I knew, I was clutching my ribs in pain, rolling on the floor dozens of metres away.
"You think too much…" I heard him say nonchalantly, even disinterested.
I stared at the ceiling blankly once again, trying to catch my breath, thinking about the ridiculous physical strength I just faced. It was like facing a mountain. He had been holding back...
'W-What is going on…?'
"Your first mistake is to think your opponent is always going to show you all his cards. As for the second, let's see... do you know what happens when you use an unorthodox swordsmanship methodology, Isane?" He asked, and that's when I realised...
I was unable to predict him!
His movements were so roguish, so out of anything I have seen, that I didn't know how to prepare for them. Usually, those stances, that way of moving, that lazy way of holding his sword, I'd be able to defeat a kid like that without even breaking a sweat. There was no discipline in it...
Or at least that's what it looked like. But he's not common...
He attracted me with his flaws, then exploited my movements as if he knew what I was going to do at all times. I also realised then that we were the opposite.
While his roguish ways made him unpredictable, my skilled doctrine made me predictable in his eyes. As if that was not enough, the fact that he defeated Gin made me aware of anything he could do. Unconsciously preparing for everything... but I wasn't expecting a kick.
He approached me and extended his hand for help like a gentleman.
I sighed in defeat and took it.
*BAANG!*
He trashed me once again into the filthy ground!
What gentleman?!
"Y-You bastard!" I cursed out loud, definitely not expecting such a dirty move.
"Hahahahahaha!"
"KAMISHIRO RYŌMA!".
I couldn't believe it. My view of him definitely changed at that moment, thinking he was just playing around with me. But when I said his name, his visage changed, and he stopped laughing.
"When did I say our fight was finished? Stop acting like we're in the academy. This is a real fight. I could massacre you right now, and no one would know" He leaned down onto my ear, "The captain is not here~".
His cold stare sent chills down my spine. I felt that he was right. He could kill me right now… if Captain Unohana is not here, who can stop him?
"Stand up", he ordered, beckoning with his hand and taking some steps back to reset our stance.
I felt my body shiver as I did what he said. There was no other choice for me other than to continue with this diabolical game of his. He took my Zampakutō that had flown out of my grasp, inspected it… Then returned it to me. He regained his stance, expecting me to come again.
"Do you hate me?" He asked with a small smirk. I was starting to feel his smiles were quite eerie.
"N-No…"
I didn't hate him… I was just scared of him. He didn't behave like anyone I have known... it felt like he was just fueled by sheer chaos, not logic.
The eyes he used to stare at me seemed to lose respect and interest by the second. It made me feel complex... bad, like I was worthless. Although I said I didn't hate him, that opinion was starting to change very quickly.
"You are originally from the Rukongai, Isane. Have you always been treated like a princess?" He mocked.
And that did it for me; there was only so much disrespect I could take. I pointed my sword at him, my hand shivering with wrath, "Don't underestimate me!"
He was playing with me. Making it look like I had no edge... like I was granted my right to be a Shinigami, like my life has been easy!
"I worked hard to be a shinigami. Don't belittle my efforts!"
It was a basic technique, one of the easiest Hados, but it was instantaneous. Something he wouldn't expect.
His expression changed for the first time to one of concern, and I felt a haze flash by.
*BAANGG!*
A small explosion of light produced where he had been, but I noticed he was no longer there... he was across the other side of the massive basement room.
'Shunpo!?'
I couldn't believe how clean his Shunpo was. It is a technique that not all Shinigami dominate, but it is not my first time seeing it. In fact, I have seen it a lot and never this polished.
Ryōma put his sword on his shoulder, "You're finally showing me something good, Isane~".
I recalled at that instant. Ryōma didn't go to the academy and didn't officially graduate as a Shinigami. He comes straight from the district of Inuzuris with nothing but sheer talent and power.
'The captain said he doesn't know Kido!'
I gained a bit of an edge, even smiled. 'Finally, I have some advantage in this fight. He doesn't know Kido... so whatever I do in that regard is going to be unpredictable for him'
My way of thinking changed from that moment. He disappeared from where he was in a heartbeat. I couldn't even follow him with my eyes; all I could do was instinctively block!
*CLANG!!*
I managed to parry his strike, but not completely. His sword slipped and sliced my shoulder cleanly, tearing my reishi like I was made of thin paper.
"Ugh!" I groaned in pain, feeling an annoying itch. He at least allowed me some breathing room to make some distance and recompose. I looked at the blood dripping on the ground, mixing and entwining with the one already there, dry and filthy.
This was a real battle.
"It is true I don't quite understand Kido. But if you have to talk all that bullshit to use it every time, I doubt it will be efficient against me"
'That's true… but it is not like that's something new'!.
I released my Shikai. My sword expanded and released two smaller swords that levitated next to me. With both sides covered, I immediately began an incantation.
"An interesting Shikai, let's see what it can do", I heard him mumble lightly, just enough for me to hear. Once again, he used Shunpo to stop my incantation, but it wouldn't be so easy this time.
*CLANG!!*
My two smaller swords defended. I see shock on his expression... he was fighting against autonomous swords that I controlled mentally. They were unable to hold him as much as I would, but at least, they stalled him from coming straight to me.
He shunpoed with a feint to come, but both my smaller words were expecting him to ignore them to come to me. Whatever it is that I am casting, he doesn't want me to finish.
*CLAANG*
*CLAANG!*
He fought against them until I finished. By the time I did, he was very close. Perfect!
"Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six!"
Six yellow light bars manifested and chased after him even as he used Shunpo to run away. With yet another distraction, I didn't waste time.
A gigantic cloud of smoke took over the basement, reducing visibility significantly. Ryoma grit his teeth while appearing and disappearing at ridiculous speeds, but my kido had already locked onto him.
The barriers didn't need to 'see', but he did. I squeezed further into the fog and sent both my swords around to lurk for an opportunity.
I also couldn't see very well what was going on, but I saw the lights flicker as they crashed against Ryoma's sword. He was shattering the barriers one by one. The objective of the barriers was to seal his movements, but I just needed a decoy.
I took the chance to use Kaido and heal my shoulder.
"I have to admit. If used efficiently, this Kido can be quite annoying!" I heard him scream from within the smoke. I didn't make a sound, trying not to reveal my location... but assuming his spatial awareness is as huge as his talent, he should have locked onto my previous location.
So I moved... as quietly as I could.
"You're teaching me quite a bit in this fight, Isane" he said, and even made more useless chatter with the clear purpose of pinpointing my location. I locked onto the place where I had already been.
I managed to do three incantations before he inevitably blew away my two side swords, shattering them and disabling my Shikai's value. For a while, there was only silence. But once I was ready, I spoke.
"I know you are holding back", I said to him. If he truly wanted… my two swords wouldn't have been able to stop him. He's either measuring me or testing me. Regardless, I'm going to give it my all.
I began my incantation amidst the silence and the smoke.
*WHOOSH!*
He came rushing to me like a thirsty devil, the smoke in front cleared, and I saw his sword cleave down. His countenance showed that he was disappointed in me for falling to it, revealing my location.
But this time, I grinned.
I cancelled my incantation in front of his very eyes and executed the same Hado I had used before, the one that needed no incantation.
!!!
I saw with deliciousness how his expression changed, not with fear but rather... surprise, interest.
His chest exploded, sending him flying across the room until he landed and regained his balance. I was sweating, panting, exhaling deep breaths and then screaming for oxygen.
'I-I hit him... I hit him!'
Except for a burning mark on his robes... I had accomplished nothing. He smirked and got ready to charge again, but this time he was looking at me like a human, like someone worth fighting... and I was happy enough with that for now.
His body disappeared the next second. I knew I had nothing else to show... no more preparations. I gave it my all just to hit him once. Before he struck the back of my head, I felt pride in myself and the strategy I had come up with. In front of me, there was an opponent so overbearingly strong... but I didn't give up, I stood up tall and even managed to hit him.
Before my consciousness faded completely, I fell into his arms and looked at him straight in the eye.
"Don't underestimate... lieutenants, R-Ryōma-k-kun..."
"I won't. You're good, Isane... let's fight again later~".
His proposition made me pale. I don't want to fight him ever again!