Blade flashes filled the gloomy sky, Kido roared beside his ears, and the scent of death lightly brushed against his neck!
Asano Kiyoshi's expression remained calm. A massive blood-red pavilion rose from the ground behind him, the words "Gate of the Underworld" glaring into view.
He did not look toward the Hado chanters. He merely said to Nel:
"Nel, hold on tight to my shoulder!"
Nel nodded, her little hands instantly gripping Asano Kiyoshi's greatly altered Shinigami Uniform with all her strength.
The Scroll rippled faintly. Asano Kiyoshi reached out and clenched his hand, and a sword seemingly forged from ink appeared in his grasp.
As he watched the countless blades and sword shadows descend upon him, Asano Kiyoshi seemed to return to that sunny afternoon, Captain-Commander's words resurfacing in his mind:
"When you face a large number of enemies, do not panic. Observe carefully. When several people surround and attack you, their attacks will inevitably have paths that interfere and collide with one another. All you need to do is seize those fragile points of balance, and you can break their encirclement directly. You may even use the enemy's swords to kill the enemy!"
His heart was as still as water. As the surrounding blades fell, Asano Kiyoshi discovered countless openings almost instantly.
Two inches above and to the left—one horizontal slash could break two attackers' strikes and make them pierce each other.
Three feet diagonally to the right—one direct thrust could neutralize one person's attack and redirect it toward the person behind him.
In that brief instant, Asano Kiyoshi had found the flaws in their assault. Looking at the attackers rushing toward him, he silently thought:
The attacks of you four aren't even as airtight as Captain-Commander's alone! Nothing but openings!
With a flick of his wrist, the