When You're Fighting, Stop Running Your Mouth

In the cold, damp underground passage, a hoarse voice like branches scraping together rang out:

"Heh heh, what a fine place. You must have gone to great lengths setting this up, right, Yamano Mirō!"

The voice was not loud, yet it was exceptionally grating in the silent space. Asano Kiyoshi looked toward where it had come from, his spiritual pressure stirring faintly. Then his entire body vanished from where he stood. At the very instant Asano Kiyoshi disappeared, a massive Zanpakuto cleaved into the spot where he had been standing.

The strike was so powerful that it shattered even the Reishi Stabilization Device, which was as hard as rock!

Only after the blade had fallen did the hoarse Shikai release command gradually reach them:

"Bleed upon the rocks—Severing Demon!"

The massive Zanpakuto did not hinder the man's speed. When his first attack missed, he flashed with Shunpo and swung again, delivering another heavy slash at Asano Kiyoshi from behind and to the side.

Asano Kiyoshi reacted at last, drawing his Zanpakuto and turning to block. But the moment his blade met the other's, his palm went numb. The opponent's strength exceeded what he could withstand. If they kept trading blows like this, he would soon lose!

The instant he realized that, Asano Kiyoshi raised his left hand slightly. Concealed by his sleeve, white lightning formed in an instant and shot toward the man with a roaring peal of thunder.

The lightning was blindingly intense. Flashing arcs illuminated the entire dim underground space, and only then did Asano Kiyoshi see the man's face.

Beneath his messy blue hair, a massive burn scar stretched from his left eye all the way to his neck. The horrifying wound made him look like a vicious demon that had crawled out of Hell!

That striking feature allowed Asano Kiyoshi to recognize him at once—Yingkou Hui!

He had once been the Eleventh Division's Thirteenth Seat Officer!

Silver-white lightning shot straight at Yingkou Hui's head. Facing the incoming bolt, Yingkou Hui snorted coldly and retreated, dodging the terrifying lightning.

The lightning did not hit Yingkou Hui, but it blasted through the ceiling of the underground passage, exposing the not particularly bright space aboveground.

But because of that damned Reishi Stabilization Device, the hole Byakurai had made was still too small for Asano Kiyoshi to pass through.

At the same time, the hole made by that strike had clearly exposed his intentions. With his wealth of combat experience, Yingkou Hui immediately saw through Asano Kiyoshi's plan.

He stood in place with his long blade held across his chest, then a savage grin appeared on his terrifying face.

"Bite him—Severing Demon!"

The instant he heard Yingkou Hui's words, Asano Kiyoshi immediately realized that Yingkou Hui's Zanpakuto had another form!

So he released his own Zanpakuto as well!

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

In an instant, blue spiritual pressure and ink-black spiritual pressure collided and tore at one another in the cramped underground space, shaking several fine cracks into the walls of the passage!

Yingkou Hui looked at the Scroll appearing beside Asano Kiyoshi, then at the Zanpakuto that had vanished from his side. A mocking smile appeared on his face. Then, like a hunting panther, he lunged at Asano Kiyoshi in a strange posture!

With the Zanpakuto's release, Asano Kiyoshi could clearly feel that Yingkou Hui's speed and strength had both increased considerably!

His strength in particular grew greater with every attack!

Faced with the increasingly terrifying force, Asano Kiyoshi gradually found himself unable to hold on. His defense began to falter, and seeing this, Yingkou Hui mocked him.

"Your Zanpakuto is from the Kido Department, isn't it? Then in a cramped space like this, fighting a Zanpakuto built for close combat, a Kido Department Zanpakuto has no time to cast Kido. It's practically seeking its own destruction! Didn't your teacher ever teach you that?!"

Asano Kiyoshi said nothing. He merely raised his hand slightly, and a blazing red fireball condensed in his palm before howling toward Yingkou Hui!

"Hadō No. 31—Shakkahō!"

After sensing the level of Reishi within the fireball, Yingkou Hui's face showed disdain. He raised his Zanpakuto with both hands and shouted:

"Your Kido casting speed is decent! But it's nowhere near enough! Let me crush your hopes completely and show you the difference between us! Sever him—Severing Demon!"

As Yingkou Hui's words fell, his Zanpakuto suddenly shrank to nearly half its former size. Yet Asano Kiyoshi could feel an even more terrifying sense of danger coming from it!

Then the muscles on Yingkou Hui's back bulged slightly. Raising his Zanpakuto in both hands, he brought it down viciously upon the red fireball!

The silver-white blade light was like the fang of a python, intent on crushing every enemy before it!

The instant it struck the fireball, it split it directly in two!

The divided Shakkahō flew past Yingkou Hui's sides, causing him not the slightest injury.

Yet Yingkou Hui could not smile at the sight, because Asano Kiyoshi was smiling!

Just as Yingkou Hui was beginning to feel confused, Asano Kiyoshi's voice rang out once more:

"O Lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bear the name of Man!"

The moment Asano Kiyoshi began speaking, Yingkou Hui knew what he intended to do. Though he could hardly believe that this greenhorn could use such advanced Post-Chanting, the danger his body sensed still forced him into action!

His figure instantly vanished, while two pits protruding backward appeared where he had been standing!

"Are you kidding me?! You think I'll give you time to chant Kido?! Die!"

The long blade in his hand slashed toward Asano Kiyoshi's neck. Just as it was about to pierce his pale skin, a Yellow Rope instantly bound Yingkou Hui's arm. Along with it came Asano Kiyoshi's voice:

"Bakudo No. 9—Hōrin!"

How was that possible?!

How could he use another Kido while chanting Hadō?!

What kind of brain did he have? Wasn't he afraid the Kido backlash would blow his head clean off?!

But no matter how many doubts Yingkou Hui had, Asano Kiyoshi's Post-Chanting had already ended:

"Scorching heat and strife, across the seas, roll southward, march onward!"

"Hadō No. 31—Shakkahō!"

As the Post-Chanting was spoken, the fireball that had originally been split in two and was barely clinging to life instantly swelled!

The blazing fireball, carrying terrifying heat, slammed into the black, obstructive ceiling!

As the fireball dispersed, it revealed the dim, iron-colored sky!