Shikai!

The two had fundamentally different fighting styles and methods. The instant the battle began, Ikkaku decisively chose close-quarters combat, avoiding the Kido he was unfamiliar with. He constantly changed direction, using Shunpo to rapidly attack Asano Kiyoshi from extremely tricky angles.

Asano Kiyoshi naturally knew Ikkaku's intentions and had no intention of letting him succeed. Although he had trained under the Captain-Commander for a time, compared to Ikkaku's battle experience accumulated over many long years, he still fell rather short.

So, upon seeing Ikkaku rapidly closing in, Asano Kiyoshi decisively chose to use Kido to keep him entangled while continuously using Shunpo to widen the distance, preventing Ikkaku from engaging him in close-range combat.

And the sole deciding factor in achieving a drawn-out battle was Asano Kiyoshi's proficiency with Kido!

But clearly, with the help of his Zanpakuto, Asano Kiyoshi had already achieved that perfectly!

Moonlight pierced through the layered clouds, its silvery glow falling upon Asano Kiyoshi's slightly raised arm. Then, a flash of white lightning emerged. Wild electrical arcs danced back and forth at his fingertips as they shot forth alongside the boy's calm voice:

"Hado No. 4—Byakurai!"

As Asano Kiyoshi's words fell, the restless giant lightning serpent instantly shot out, fiercely striking toward Madarame Ikkaku's chest. However, the power of this Kido had clearly been carefully restrained. Even if Ikkaku neither dodged nor defended, it would not inflict a piercing wound. At most, it would tear his skin and leave his body weak for a while.

After all, this was only a Friendly Match, not a life-or-death battle. There was no need to be so ruthless.

Still, anyone with a discerning eye could tell that Asano Kiyoshi had held back, and Ikkaku naturally saw it as well. He knew this was a Friendly Match, unlike a desperate fight to the death, so he did not take advantage of Asano Kiyoshi. Between dodging and taking the attack head-on, he chose to change direction and evade the Kido rather than use the opportunity to smash through this feeble spell.

Yet by doing so, Ikkaku had to abandon his original route to avoid Byakurai and approach Asano Kiyoshi from another direction.

But before Ikkaku could shake off the brief stiffness caused by Shunpo, Asano Kiyoshi's next Kido had already been hurled right before his gleaming bald head!

"Self-destruct, Rondānini's Black Dog! Burn to ashes at a single glance, sever your own throat! Bakudo No. 9—Hōrin!"

Yellow light gathered in the air along Asano Kiyoshi's pointing finger. Within mere seconds, chains as thick as an adult's wrist took shape and rushed toward Ikkaku.

Watching the incoming Yellow Rope, Ikkaku's mouth slowly split into a grin. Excitement surged through him as he swung his Zanpakuto horizontally. Amid a piercing screech, Ikkaku actually sent the Yellow Rope flying with a single brutal slash.

That had been Kido cast with Asano Kiyoshi's Complete Incantation, backed by a Kido stat as high as forty—yet Ikkaku had destroyed it with brute force alone.

Looking at Ikkaku, drenched in sweat yet still razor-sharp in spirit, Asano Kiyoshi grew increasingly serious. He knew that holding back against an opponent like Ikkaku would actually be an insult.

Thus, Asano Kiyoshi used Shunpo twice in the direction away from Ikkaku. After widening the distance once more, he looked at Ikkaku, who happened to raise his head and look back at him.

As their gazes met, there was nothing but endless flames colliding!

As though their hearts had connected, the two shouted in unison:

"Turn to Heavenly Light and Wither—Yellow Springs!"

"Extend—Hozukimaru!"

As their spiritual pressure erupted, even the surrounding air seemed to grow thick and viscous. The chaotic, immense Reishi even slightly lifted the ground around them!

Such an eruption of Reishi naturally could not escape the notice of the Shinigami within the Seireitei. However, brawls like this were actually common among Shinigami. As long as the Twelfth Division verified their identities through surveillance and no one died, not many Shinigami would pay much attention.

But today's battle was different from the usual!

Their fight happened to coincide with the First Squad's Captain's Meeting, and Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi happened to have portable surveillance equipment playing on him.

Because he knew Asano Kiyoshi was the Captain-Commander's newly accepted "disciple," and because of Asano Kiyoshi's one-of-a-kind domain-type Zanpakuto, even Mayuri Kurotsuchi was deeply interested in him. Ignoring the Captain-Commander's words, he directly took out the device during the meeting and began watching on his own.

The Captain-Commander had originally intended to reprimand him, but after seeing the scene on the screen, he silently said nothing and instead fixed his full attention on the youth in the footage.

Thus, through a series of coincidences, Asano Kiyoshi and Madarame Ikkaku were putting on one hell of a show for every captain in Soul Society!

Watching the two fight fiercely, Jushiro Ukitake coughed twice. His face reddened slightly as he said anxiously:

"Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, quickly use the device to stop them. They are both still patients. How can they engage in such an intense battle so directly?"

Hearing this, Mayuri Kurotsuchi turned to look at Jushiro Ukitake, then turned back, picked at his ear, and revealed an infuriating expression on his paint-covered face.

"Huh? What did Captain Ukitake say? I can't hear you."

Everyone was already accustomed to Mayuri Kurotsuchi acting like that. Still, Jushiro Ukitake remained worried about his two students, so he turned an imploring gaze toward the Captain-Commander. But when he found the Captain-Commander watching with great interest as well, he helplessly covered his forehead.

After all, his own teacher had already made his stance clear. At this point, stopping them from having a fight would be inappropriate instead.

All the captains had gathered together, and the atmosphere had reached this point. If the two did not slash at each other a little, it would honestly be hard to justify.

The captains' reactions, however, were entirely different. The Captain-Commander, Gin Ichimaru, and Sister Hana all narrowed their eyes, making it impossible to tell whether they wanted to watch or not.

Miss Soi Fon wore her usual cool, haughty big-sister face (??ˇ?ˇ??). Aizen wore glasses and smiled pleasantly as he continuously commented on the two Shinigami's live battle.

Byakuya had a serious expression (≡??·???≡). Big Dog wore an iron helmet, making his expression impossible to see. Shunsui grinned foolishly (⊙_⊙). Kaname Tōsen... was blind and could not see, so he listened as Isshin described it to him.

Kenpachi's face was filled with extreme excitement, the bells on his head constantly jingling, much to Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi's disgust.

Jushiro Ukitake coughed twice and busied himself taking medicine, pls don't bother.

For a time, the Captain's Meeting became as chaotic as a marketplace.

But as the two finished speaking the words to release their Zanpakuto, the entire Captain's Meeting fell silent once more.