Caught Off Guard / Ahua's Illusion

Kuina twirled Wado Ichimonji in her right hand, swept it to the side, and turned to face Kuzan with its tip pointed down. Ice flowers reflected in her eyes, while lightning coiled around her and drove back the surrounding cold.

"Admiral."

Her cool, distant voice carried through the sky full of ice flowers.

"Hey, no need to be so serious." Kuzan breathed out a puff of cold air and yawned. Looking up at Kuina floating above him, he chuckled. "You're lightning, I'm ice. We're not settling this anytime soon, so let's just trade a few blows and wait for them to finish their fight."

Kuina seemed to sense that Kuzan had no desire to fight her to the death. She studied him for a moment, then raised Wado Ichimonji and aimed its tip at him. The chill in her eyes cut as keenly as the blade in her hand.

She wasn't about to pass up a chance to fight an Admiral. Kuzan might want to go through the motions, but that wasn't what she wanted.

"Hm..."

Just as she was about to attack, she seemed to sense something. Her head snapped around, and she looked toward the two figures fighting amid the church ruins.

Joy flashed through her eyes, followed by a trace of worry.

She knew Kuta couldn't be hurt, but faced with Carteles's unknown ability, she couldn't help worrying a little.

At the center of the church ruins, Carteles held his right hand up, locked in a clash of force with the blade of Kuta's Zankū across the gap between them.

His left hand was hurtling toward the head of Kuta, who stood as though his soul had left his body.

The instant Kuta fell into the illusion, Carteles had raised his enlarged left hand.

He could feel