But that was not the case. Horned Ichigo had suffered no damage.
Although his upper body was pinned beneath the ground, he beckoned lightly with his right hand, and Tensa Zangetsu immediately pulled free of the ground several kilometers away, spinning as it flew back into Horned Ichigo's hand.
The moment he caught Tensa Zangetsu, Horned Ichigo swung at Shisui without the slightest hesitation.
The blade entered beneath Shisui's left ribs, passed through his body, and emerged from his right shoulder.
Strangely, however, not a single drop of blood flowed from Shisui's body.
Then Shisui's figure gradually disappeared.
What Horned Ichigo had just cut was merely an afterimage left behind by Shisui's tremendous speed.
Seeing Shisui flicker into the distance, Horned Ichigo thrust his head forward without hesitation. A black-and-red Cero formed between his two horns and fired straight at Shisui.
Horned Ichigo was not finished. He swung his sword again, and this time, Tensa Zangetsu became a streak of black lightning, hurtling toward Shisui.
At the same time, powerful reiatsu poured from Horned Ichigo's body, seemingly warping even the air around him.
Shisui sensed Horned Ichigo's powerful presence, and his gaze grew sharper.
Facing the incoming Cero and black lightning, Shisui formed a one-handed seal and performed a very basic ninjutsu-the Substitution Technique.
As the Substitution Technique took effect, Shisui vanished from the spot in an instant, avoiding Horned Ichigo's Cero.
Meanwhile, as Horned Ichigo released his Cero, his body shot toward Shisui alongside it like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Just as Shisui narrowly evaded the Cero, Horned Ichigo silently appeared behind him.
Then, without hesitation, he swung Tensa Zangetsu viciously down at Shisui...
Slash, slash, slash!
Their blades clashed more than a hundred times in just a few seconds.
Suddenly...
"Black Flow Fang Thrust!"
Horned Ichigo