Chapter 91: Breathless
Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni stood quietly in place.
His profound gaze observed Suoh before him completing Shikai and preparations.
Shing—His wrist slightly raised. The sword in his hand rang as it left its sheath.
In just that instant, the air in the field suddenly shook. Surging presence instantly enveloped Suoh.
Not Ryūjin Jakka after Shikai release—merely a trace of blazing heat leaking from the Asauchi state blade—yet the field's temperature began climbing.
Crimson radiance blazed forth.
The next moment, sword pressure swept toward Suoh in a shooting rush.
Though sword pressure released in Asauchi state, given the Captain-Commander's astonishing spiritual power class, no matter how much he restrained his force, the power still exceeded Suoh's own sword pressure by several times over.
Locked by fighting spirit, Suoh clearly understood he couldn't evade.
The Captain-Commander's spiritual pressure before him had already enveloped the entire field.
Using shunpo to escape—the instant he reappeared, he'd immediately have to take another equally powerful sword pressure strike.
"Pierce through, Kikou!"
Without hesitation, he raised his sword tip. A blazing, dazzling yellow light cannon burst from the tip, crashing head-on into the incoming sword pressure.
The instant both forces collided, the sword pressure's central section was forcefully penetrated and dissolved by the yellow light cannon.
The sword pressure's remaining two sections whistled past both sides of Suoh's body, leaving two scorched marks on the rocky ground behind.
Just one casual strike had already forced out Suoh's Shikai trump card.
Yet the light cannon's momentum didn't diminish, shooting toward the Captain-Commander's forehead according to Suoh's aim.
However, affected by the sword pressure, the preset trajectory produced a slight deflection.
Facing the rapidly shooting light cannon, the Captain-Commander merely tilted his head slightly. It grazed past his ear.
His person completely unharmed.
However, the blazing heat contained in the light cannon still scorched a trace of char into the white haori at his shoulder.
The Captain-Commander's eyes lowered, glancing past the char mark on his shoulder. A trace of fluctuation passed through his eyes.
At the same instant the light cannon and sword pressure collided, Suoh had already completed his quiet incantation.
"Reflect, Kikou!"
Instantly, dozens of sword-holding Suoh figures appeared from nowhere, surrounding the Captain-Commander in layers.
"Illusion clones plus soundless shunpo? Not a bad idea."
The Captain-Commander's gaze swept across the surrounding clones, his ancient-well-calm face showing some seriousness.
He very easily saw through Suoh's technique's concept.
The blade in his hand slightly lowered, assuming a lower guard stance.
He could completely use stronger spiritual pressure to instantly break through the field's clones.
But that would lose the examination's meaning.
The Captain-Commander just hadn't expected a youngster from the Thirteenth Division to possess such shunpo attainment. His style somewhat resembled the Second Division's.
Regarding Suoh who kept delaying revealing his true form, he wasn't anxious at all.
Whatever combat style—he could accept it here, and had corresponding methods.
Quietly waiting for that moment when Suoh would reveal his true form while attacking.
Facing the Captain-Commander's steady-as-mountain stance before him and emotionless composure.
Suoh, rapidly stepping to constantly shift positions in the field, began feeling somewhat numb.
The slight openings the Captain-Commander revealed only when his gaze shifted—like carefully woven traps, emanating demon-whisper-like temptation—continuously provoked Suoh's impulse to strike.
Suoh gripped his hilt tightly. Kikou's blade in his hand slightly raised.
His heart sank.
He knew—if he didn't move now, it wouldn't work.
The instant the Captain-Commander's gaze shifted toward the left front.
Suoh's true form suddenly manifested from the air behind him.
Kikou's blade edge traced a fierce arc, directly targeting the back of his neck.
When striking, his heart held not half a trace of timidity, directly going for vital points.
"Truly splendid shunpo."
The Captain-Commander didn't turn his head. His blade tip passed through the neck's side at an incredible angle, precisely blocking Kikou's blade.
Clang—
Metal rang clearly and sharply.
Kikou's blade was firmly pinned, unable to advance another fraction.
"Next, let's see if you still have room to maneuver."
The Captain-Commander's voice just fell. Suoh felt the pressure transmitted from Kikou suddenly multiply.
The next instant, the Captain-Commander's wrist slightly turned. His blade tip flexibly slid along Kikou's blade.
One exquisite pull completely redirected Suoh's accumulated slashing force toward empty space.
Not waiting for Suoh to adjust.
Shoe soles and rocky ground rubbed, producing dull scraping sounds. The Captain-Commander swiftly and smoothly completed a half-turn.
Borrowing the turning momentum, swift and fierce light and shadow came toward Suoh's face.
The blade's trajectory clearly reflected in Suoh's pupils.
Before the blade arrived, that suffocating sensation of imminent blade contact vividly fed back through various senses.
Steadying his breath, Kikou in his hand slashed downward, firmly blocking this strike.
Boom—
Explosive metal-on-metal clanging rang between them.
Next.
Suoh experienced once again after a long time the suppression originating from swordsmanship level.
Instantly, Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu, shunpo, and Shikai techniques vanished from Suoh's mind in an instant.
What he could perceive was only the continuous attacks before him and the unfathomably deep oppressive force from the Captain-Commander.
What could support him was only the purest technique and focus.
The purest swordsmanship clash. Suoh's gaze remained calm, showing not half a trace of excess emotion beyond this.
Through the crossed blades, Suoh could always clearly see the Captain-Commander's calm-as-deep-waters countenance.
After dozens of exchanges between both blades.
"Swordsmanship is passable."
The Captain-Commander's evaluating voice carried affirmation, yet his wrist suddenly exerted force.
A hidden force surged, transmitting through both swords. Suoh only felt his full-strength upward strike instantly deflected.
He could no longer grip the hilt in his hand. It shot from his grasp.
"Bakudo Number Four: Hainawa."
Instinctive reaction faster than thought. Golden light ropes instantly flew from Suoh's fingertip, firmly wrapping around Kikou's hilt.
But before he could exert force to pull it back, the Asauchi in the Captain-Commander's hand beside him had already shot forth.
Precisely severing the light rope while simultaneously pinning Kikou into the nearby stone wall.
Both blade bodies sank into the rock wall, trembling and humming.
Immediately following was incoming fist wind.
Suoh's gaze focused. He immediately assumed proper stance to respond.
Boom—!
In a flash, he didn't choose to raise his arm to block, but swung his fist to meet it.
After testing swordsmanship for so long, he'd gained some understanding of the Captain-Commander's style.
This was his only chance to seize a moment's respite.
The instant both fists collided, air waves spread like ripples.
This punch directly sent Suoh flying.
Suoh retreated several steps continuously, adjusting posture, lowering his center of gravity to stand firmly.
The instant he stopped, his left foot fiercely stomped the ground. His form like a suddenly released compressed spring abruptly countercharged—one clean straight punch directly targeting the Captain-Commander's center line.
"Studying the fundamental style for merely several months, yet possessing this level of mastery."
"Indeed—not bad."
Facing the offensive, appreciation rose in the Captain-Commander's eyes.
Easily blocking Suoh's counterattack, he immediately pressed forward, mercilessly landing a punch on Suoh's abdomen.
This punch's force was controlled just right—sufficient to collapse Suoh's resistance ability without injuring muscles or bones.
"Ugh!"
Suoh's body flew backward, heavily smashing onto the rocky ground, kicking up rock fragments.
Fortunately, he'd already mentally prepared to take heavy blows. He quickly directed spiritual pressure to the struck location for defense, barely avoiding having the wind completely knocked out of him by this punch.
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