The pillars of fire and Thunder Prison gradually faded, but the raging winds continued to howl. The earth groaned under an unbearable burden, and an area stretching hundreds of miles had been shaved several meters lower.
Crimson and blue-violet light clashed and canceled each other out, dispersing at a visible rate beneath the rolling black clouds.
As far as the eye could see, the scorched soil radiated blistering heat. Streams of glowing red lava flowed through it, gurgling continuously.
The aftershocks spread in every direction. Forests and mountains alike were flattened, reduced to ash, melded into the charred earth, and swept beneath the gray sky.
The two fighters seemed to realize that their destructive power was too great. They abandoned their Zanpakuto and began exchanging blows with pure Hakuda techniques.
The style of the battle changed again and again.
The captains suppressed their alarm as they gazed toward the heart of the battlefield.
One old, one young—they beat each other senseless. Both had completely abandoned defense, as if they intended to vent every bit of frustration they had built up recently.
When everything finally settled, both Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto and Tsunayashiro Su Feng looked completely different.
Their exposed, muscular bodies were covered in blue and purple bruises, mixed with unnatural dark-red swelling. Their arms had even turned a suffocating shade of purple, a terrifying sight.
Their skin was split with wounds everywhere, blood gushing from them and soaking their bodies.
Yet despite their wretched appearances, not a single captain dared underestimate them. Instead, the dread in their hearts grew even heavier.
As the aftershocks faded, the thick clouds overhead remained. A suffocating oppression blanketed the ground below, pressing upon everyone's hearts like mountains.
Only after several more minutes of fists colliding did the battle finally draw to a close.
Genryusai