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Blades crossed.
Shiki flicked his wrists, and countless golden threads instantly sliced through the air ahead, weaving a web of death that filled his entire field of vision.
Every thread could sever the hardest minerals.
"Scatter."
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang-
Sparks burst like a torrential downpour.
The metallic clashes came so densely that the gaps vanished, merging into a continuous, piercing screech.
Two figures crossed amid the web of swords and flashing blades, moving so fast that only afterimages remained.
Two colors tore at the sky, black-red and gold gnawing at each other like a pair of maddened beasts.
Every collision unleashed sharp arcs of light. The scattered energy shredded clouds and air, whipping up violent currents that swept outward.
The faint sound of tearing fabric rang unusually clear amid the dense clash of blades.
The golden figure abruptly pulled back, fresh streaks of red blooming across his sleeve.
Shiki glanced down at his arm, his brows knitting tightly.
"This ability... is truly unpleasant."
His complaint was not without reason.
In close combat, having his perception forcibly obscured was like suddenly losing his sight.
For a swordsman who depended on split-second judgments, such interference was almost fatal.
Victory and defeat often hinged on the slightest difference in reaction. A single misjudgment was enough to let a blade cut into flesh.
"And controlling ocean currents is somehow elegant?"
Against someone who relied on Devil Fruit powers, controlling seawater could have ended the fight with ease.
Yet although this opponent possessed an ability, his foundation lay in solid Haki mastery.
Surging black currents exploded from Rossi's body, forcibly driving back the waves closing around him.
He held that sinister long blade across his body, his fighting spirit like boiling magma.
"Continue."
Shiki's expression darkened further.
He trusted his swordsmanship to