The scene resembled a miniature sun descending upon the earth.
In an instant, the moisture in the air evaporated completely. Akira felt as if he were sweating, but he couldn't be sure—any droplets of sweat would have disappeared the moment they formed. Even though he had distanced himself, the oppressive heat of Yamamoto Genryūsai's flames still reached him.
Farther away, the troops of the Gotei 13—who had already retreated—were still affected.
"No way… Even from this far!?"
Second Division Vice-Captain Marechiyo Ōmaeda gasped in horror. The large-framed man was already out of breath, yet now he desperately wished he could run faster. Around him, other Shinigami suffered from parched throats and cracked lips. Some of the weaker ones were even on the verge of heatstroke.
"After all this, and he still hasn't killed Akira!?"
The thought surfaced in their minds, unbidden but undeniable.
Before anyone could voice their concerns, Yamamoto Genryūsai moved.
The Head Captain launched a sudden and ferocious assault, his Zanka no Tachi radiating an unbearable heat that distorted the very air around him. Akira immediately evaded, retreating in an effort to maintain distance.
"Don't try to run!"
Yamamoto swung his blade in a horizontal arc, the sheer heat warping reality itself. Akira barely dodged, narrowly avoiding the scorching edge of the strike before swiftly maneuvering around the lingering flames.
At the conclusion of the three-hit barrage, Akira executed a backflip, reestablishing distance between them.
"Hmph. All you can do now is dodge? What happened to trying to consume the old man's flames?"
Yamamoto's voice carried a note of derision.
Akira smiled bitterly. It wasn't a matter of whether he could consume the fire—getting too close to Zanka no Tachi was already enough to ignite his body.
"I don't need to devour it."
Yamamoto scoffed. "Stubborn fool."
His response was met with a brilliant light surging from Akira's holy sword.
"Naïve! Did you really think I'd let you charge your attack!?"
Having seen this technique before, Yamamoto preemptively swung his blade once more. The flaming slash cut through the air, reducing everything in its path to cinders—but once again, Akira eluded the strike.
The residual flames continued to surge forward, scorching the very ground and leaving deep cracks in the earth from the sheer heat.
Shh! Shh! Shh!
A flurry of strikes followed, each one resembling the relentless pursuit of the golden crows of legend. Yamamoto's blade chased Akira, each movement carrying overwhelming force and heat.
Yet, even as the inferno sought to consume him, Akira remained steadfast. His hands gripped his holy sword, and within his eyes, the Mangekyō Sharingan spun rapidly, analyzing every motion with unnatural clarity.
"I see it. I can see it all."
Yamamoto's movements—once an unfathomable mystery—were now being systematically deciphered. With each strike, Akira adjusted, weaving through the attacks with fluid precision.
With the additional aid of Observation Haki, he sidestepped and pivoted, avoiding every slash with perfect timing.
To maintain his abilities while simultaneously countering the Head Captain's relentless assault—such a feat was beyond extraordinary. Even Yamamoto, after pressing the offensive for a while, felt a moment of shock rise within him.
"This level of swordsmanship…"
It was simply inhuman.
The only way to nullify all of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's attacks is to keep him distracted while accumulating techniques. This is far more difficult than a simple sparring match, especially when there's no opportunity to counterattack!
"In just a few short days, his swordsmanship has improved by several realms! This boy must not be allowed to live!"
A rare sense of crisis welled up in Yamamoto's heart. If he allowed Akira to continue growing, who knew how much stronger he would become?
"Ha!"
With a thunderous roar, Yamamoto hurled Ryūjin Jakka to the ground.
Immediately, the flames of Zanka no Tachi: Kita – Tenchi Kaijin spread, forming a sea of fire that engulfed everything in its path, turning the battlefield into a hellish inferno!
But at that very moment, Akira's power reached its peak.
Leaping high into the air, surrounded by golden motes of light, he swung his holy sword down from the heavens—its radiance illuminating the battlefield as though splitting the world apart!
"Excalibur—!"
Due to Yamamoto's relentless pursuit, the devastating attack erupted at point-blank range, its sheer destructive force akin to a divine decree of annihilation.
"Hmph!"
Yet, despite facing such a god-forged weapon at near-zero distance, Yamamoto did not waver. Pouring his full spiritual power into his flames, Zanka no Tachi: Minami – Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin roared to life, its burning skeletal warriors manifesting as the inferno surged to its zenith.
The next instant, the torrent of golden light and the flames of the sun prison collided head-on!
BOOM!
Both attacks radiated extreme heat, but the moment they clashed, the holy sword's brilliance seemed to tear through the flames, scattering them like dust before its might.
As the golden radiance slowly faded, the battlefield was left with a massive, semi-circular crater. Only the ground beneath Yamamoto remained intact.
"A pity. It seems that was just barely enough to disrupt my Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin."
Yamamoto's haori had been incinerated, and the Zanka no Tachi flames flickered weakly on his body, struggling to maintain their form.
"No… This moment is enough!"
From beyond the smoke, a piercing gaze bore down from above.
Even though there were no visible signs, Yamamoto's instincts as a battle-hardened warrior screamed danger—an impending crisis he couldn't ignore!
"What trick is this?! Even now, he can still threaten me!?"
In a split second, Yamamoto's body moved on its own, raising his arm to shield himself from Akira's sight.
But then, a single drop of blood slid from the corner of Akira's eye.
"Amaterasu!"
Like the flames of Zanka no Tachi, this fire, named after the sun god, descended upon the battlefield!
A flame once hailed as the strongest physical attack, one that even Uchiha Sasuke wielded against divine opponents, now burned with undying ferocity.
For a god-level battle, this was a fire that would never fade, its destructive power remaining as terrifying as ever.
Using it against Yamamoto Genryūsai felt… just right.
"What?!"
Without warning, the black flames of Amaterasu ignited Yamamoto's arm!
Shock flashed in Yamamoto's eyes—he hadn't even seen the attack being launched. Did that mean… it was impossible to guard against?
Worse still, this cursed fire showed no signs of extinguishing. It rapidly spread across Yamamoto's body with an ominous momentum—one that would not stop until he was reduced to ash!
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