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After Kurotsuki Renya saw that Madarame's guard was beginning to unravel, a boundless fighting spirit surged within him. Stepping heavily against the ground, his body flickered and instantly appeared beside Madarame Ikkaku.
Renya would never attack directly from the front. His speed was his greatest advantage. Straight-line thrusts shortened reaction time, and his movements were sharper. But against a physical-combat Zanpakutō like Ikkaku's, sheer speed alone was not enough. No matter how fast Renya attacked, his opponent could calmly counter.
Especially Ikkaku, whose Reiatsu was already high—at the level of a Vice-Captain despite officially being only the 3rd Seat of the 11th Division.
Renya could not match him in raw strength, reflexes, or head-on combat skill.
When Ikkaku stabilized his center of gravity and fought head-on with all his strength, there were almost no flaws to exploit.
Thus, Renya shifted to the side, his Zanpakutō thrusting straight toward Ikkaku's neck.
But Ikkaku's speed was equally fierce. He spun his released Zanpakutō, Hōzukimaru, around the axis of his hand, flipping the handle downward and raising the spear tip. The blade perfectly intercepted Renya's thrust.
Clang!
The force of the clash spread through Renya's arm, nearly jolting his Zanpakutō away. In the next moment, a short dagger appeared in Renya's left hand, stabbing toward Ikkaku's chest.
Renya had once used this trick to force Ikkaku into mistakes, but now the 3rd Seat was fully prepared.
Ikkaku lifted his spear-like weapon, slamming the handle down and then twisting his wrist. With practiced ease, he swung the dagger aside.
Renya slashed with his right-hand Zanpakutō, pressing the attack.
Ikkaku's Hōzukimaru spun smoothly, the spear's long shaft and crescent blade continuously deflecting Renya's two-weapon style. He shifted his grip, holding the weapon horizontally—spear tip slightly raised, shaft pulled back—like a polearm ready for both thrusts and sweeps.
Renya attacked again and again, but each strike was repelled. His dual-blade style struggled to break through.
Then, Ikkaku deliberately left himself open, knocking Renya's Zanpakutō aside and ignoring the short dagger aimed at him. Seizing the moment, he brought Hōzukimaru down in a savage diagonal slash.
The sharp blade descended toward Renya's face, while Renya's short dagger darted toward Ikkaku's abdomen.
An exchange of injuries?
Renya frowned. His dagger could pierce Ikkaku's flesh, and with its blood groove, it could cause constant bleeding. But in Soul Society, injuries could be quickly treated with Kaidō.
If Renya were hit, however, Ikkaku's strike could cleave him in half.
Renya would not take that risk. He sprang backward, narrowly avoiding the deadly blow.
Ikkaku's strike carved into the ground as he stepped forward, body surging ahead, thrusting his spear-tip Zanpakutō toward Renya's retreating form.
Renya raised his blade just in time. Bang! The impact numbed his arms, the weapon's force tremendous. Ikkaku's spear curved upward, the arc of its swing slicing toward Renya's legs.
Renya vaulted off his toes, leaping high. But Ikkaku was already following, his spear tip angled up, aiming for Renya's abdomen.
This was Hōzukimaru's strength: when defending, its spear form could be wielded like a staff; when attacking, it unleashed the fierce precision of a true spear.
Using his right hand as the pivot, Ikkaku could thrust, sweep, and smash in rapid succession. And since Hōzukimaru's front end was not merely a point but a blade nearly two inches wide and over a foot long, it combined cutting power with spear-like reach.
With its length, range, and flexibility, once Ikkaku seized the initiative, his attacks became a relentless storm.
Renya was not worried about the speed of the thrusts—his dual-blade style could keep pace. What troubled him was Ikkaku's overwhelming strength. That was why Renya avoided direct clashes.
Bang!
Renya blocked one strike with his short dagger, but the sheer force knocked him back more than a meter.
Too strong.
Renya's brow furrowed. Ikkaku pressed forward again, spear sweeping down mercilessly.
Renya hurled his short dagger straight for Ikkaku's face, hoping to disrupt his rhythm. His plan was not to injure but to force distance and regroup.
But the spear's length gave Ikkaku ample time to react. He simply shifted sideways, dodging the projectile with ease, while his downward slash continued unimpeded.
Damn!
Renya raised his Zanpakutō with both hands, straining to block. But Ikkaku's raw power wrenched the weapon from his grip, sending it clattering away.
The next moment, Hōzukimaru's tip pressed coldly against Renya's throat.
Feeling the deadly edge, Renya exhaled and admitted defeat. "Senior Ikkaku… I lost."
Ikkaku withdrew Hōzukimaru. Before he could speak, a voice boomed across the training ground:
"To need your Shikai against a brat who doesn't even have his yet—pathetic for the 11th Division."
A towering man strode forward, more than two meters tall, Reiatsu flaring like a raging beast. His wild hair, eyepatch, and jagged smile left no doubt.
It was Zaraki Kenpachi.
"Captain, I've shamed the 11th Squad," Ikkaku said quickly, bowing his head. He admired Zaraki deeply. After Aizen, Gin, and Tōsen betrayed Soul Society, some had suggested Ikkaku as a future captain. But he had refused, swearing to follow Zaraki until the day he died in battle.
"Baldy, you lost to little Renya? That's embarrassing!"
From Zaraki's back, Yachiru Kusajishi peeked out, mocking with a mischievous grin.
"Vice-Captain, I told you—don't call me baldy!" Ikkaku roared, veins bulging.
Their usual bickering rang out, while Renya turned to bow. "Captain Zaraki, I'll take my leave."
"Get lost, brat. You never fight head-on, always aiming for weak points. Worthless style." Zaraki's tone dripped with disdain. To him, true battle was only found in head-on clashes, blades meeting until one fell. Renya's cautious precision was meaningless.
Renya left the 11th Division barracks, his thoughts turning inward.
With my dual-blade style, I can handle Ikkaku without his Shikai, but once Hōzukimaru is released, I can't match him yet.
Still, Renya had not drawn on Kidō. In the past year, under Soi-Fon's training, his Shunpo and Hakuda had advanced dramatically. His developing combat technique—melding speed, Hakuda, and Kidō into close-range strikes—was not yet Shunkō, but it enhanced his fighting power. Even if Ikkaku used Hōzukimaru's three-section staff form, Renya believed he could compete.
But in the 11th Division, Kidō was taboo. Today, Renya had been measuring his close-combat skills, and thus held back.
Even so, the strength of the 3rd Seat was undeniable. Perhaps not on par with the strongest seated officers like Rangiku Matsumoto, but certainly on the level of Vice-Captains.
Renya knew his own real strength was around the same: capable of competing with some Vice-Captains, but still far behind talents like Hitsugaya Tōshirō, Shiba Kaien, or Ichimaru Gin.
Not enough. I still have a long way to go.
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