Don't Kill Me

Udagawa's arm was wrapped around Volte, whose serpentine tail whipped about wildly, forming an impenetrable defensive net.

A sheen of cold sweat hung on his forehead as he watched Ichigo's increasingly frantic attacks in confusion.

Udagawa narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you nervous, Soul Reaper?"

"Of course."

Ichigo spoke between ragged breaths. His blade clashed again and again against the defense, sending dazzling sparks flying as the frequency of his swings rose sharply.

Watching his desperate movements, Udagawa sneered. "It's useless. This kind of attack can't possibly break through—"

"There are only two minutes left!"

Ichigo's voice arrived at the same time, causing Udagawa's expression to waver. His defenses slipped for an instant, and Ichigo's blade grazed his shoulder.

But Udagawa's attention was not on his injury at all.

Two minutes?

Was he referring to the red-haired woman saying she would finish him in three minutes?

Udagawa's eyes widened slightly. Were this guy and that woman humiliating him?

"...Very good. Very good." Veins began to bulge on Udagawa's forehead. "What an arrogant bastard."

He had never suffered such humiliation before.

"How ridiculous! Soul Reaper!"

With a sharp crack, Udagawa lashed out with his serpentine tail. The tail struck the ground and walls in rapid succession before rebounding, forming an impenetrable web of snakes that rolled toward Ichigo.

A blurry afterimage lingered in the air as Ichigo's figure weaved rapidly through the dense lines. Zangetsu's black blade carved savage arcs beneath the moonlight, every slash accompanied by a boom that seemed to shatter the air.

"It's useless!" Udagawa was startled by Ichigo's desperate momentum, but quickly returned to his cold smile. He violently swung Volte, which had transformed into a snake whip. "Within the range of my snake net, every bit of kinetic energy can be sensed! You can't escape!"

The