Free Web NovelChapter 871: Chapter 872: Treat Others the Same Way
Shunsui reestablished distance from Ethan, carefully observing the way Ethan held his sword.
Although he could not see the blade in the other’s hand, from his stance and their earlier exchange, he could roughly deduce the nature of the weapon.
"An odachi, perhaps?"
"Captain Kyoraku’s observational skills are truly impressive."
Unlike his encounter with Yoruichi, Ethan admitted it immediately. Yamamoto, watching from the sidelines, and Shunsui, standing in the arena, assumed Ethan was simply too lazy to hide it. However, Yoruichi and Unohana, who knew him better, were certain. This guy was definitely up to something.
"Since you’ve already released your Zanpakuto, I shall release mine as well."
Shunsui held two swords, one long and one short. As he recited the release command, "Flower wind rage and flower god roar, heavenly wind Rage and heavenly demon sneer, Katen Kyokotsu," the shapes of the two swords changed noticeably.
Ethan had no habit of quietly watching his opponent prepare. Even though this was only a test, he would not allow his opponent to strike a pose, deliver a long speech, and then attack.
The moment Shunsui released his Zanpakuto, Ethan charged forward again, his invisible long sword thrusting out in one smooth motion.
"Tooth Thrust!"
Combining the length of the odachi with this thrusting technique did not necessarily increase its power much, but it significantly extended the attack range.
Although he had confirmed Ethan held an odachi, Shunsui could not be certain of its exact length. Facing Ethan’s sudden attack, he chose to retreat and create distance, while simultaneously swinging Katen Kyokotsu and using Irooni.
This technique released spiral-shaped whirlwind blades. If an enemy was hit, they would be wrapped and shredded by the sharp winds.
Seeing Irooni spiral toward him, Ethan immediately halted his advance, retracting the invisible blade and returning to his previous stance.
"Hammer of the Wind King!"
The compressed wind pressure burst forward, shattering the whirlwind blades in front of him and forcing Shunsui, who had just stabilized himself, to adjust his position again to avoid the astonishing pillar of wind.
Boom.
The solid wind pressure slammed directly into the wall behind Shunsui, producing a dull, thunderous sound.
"Oh dear, if I were hit by something like that, it would be quite troublesome."
This training hall had been specially built for tests and constructed with special materials. Otherwise, without protective measures, captains fighting here could easily reduce the First Division barracks to ruins.
"However, now I’ve seen the blade’s true form."
Hammer of the Wind King released the compressed wind wrapped around the blade. Since the surrounding wind had been discharged, the concealed blade’s true appearance was naturally revealed.
Although it was visible only for an instant before turning invisible again, for someone as perceptive as Shunsui, that was enough.
The onlookers also realized this. Kuchiki Ginrei felt Ethan was still too young. While his displayed strength was considerable, revealing too much information too early showed a severe lack of experience. If this was all he had, he would not pass today’s captain test.
Yamamoto did not dwell on it. He had heard much about Ethan from Unohana and knew this young man possessed great potential and considerable swordsmanship talent. He was looking forward to seeing what else he could demonstrate.
As for Yoruichi, who knew him well, she became even more certain. This guy was definitely planning something.
The few spectators continued watching quietly. After their initial exchange, Ethan and Shunsui clashed again.
Unlike before, they did not maintain distance. After confirming the nature of Ethan’s weapon, Shunsui decisively chose close combat.
Although his twin swords were not small, compared to the extremely long odachi, they held an advantage at close range. Ethan would have difficulty maneuvering in tight quarters.
As the distance closed, the pace of the battle suddenly quickened. Neither had time for flashy techniques. Direct attacks and defenses with their weapons were the correct choice.
The sound of clashing blades echoed continuously through the training hall. Ethan and Shunsui fully displayed their swordsmanship.
Shunsui, as the direct disciple of Captain-Commander Yamamoto, had unquestionable skill. The rare sight of his dual-wielding style kept the few observers engrossed.
What surprised them was that Ethan did not fall behind at all. His long sword perfectly parried Shunsui’s attacks. In the shortest time possible, he made the most precise decisions, interrupting and disrupting Shunsui’s momentum before it could build, while seizing opportunities to launch counterattacks.
His footwork was equally excellent, coordinating perfectly with his techniques and maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far, maximizing the effectiveness of his weapon. If Shunsui found a chance to close in, Ethan would promptly switch to a one-handed grip, use his fists and feet to parry, and reestablish distance.
"His fundamentals are solid."
Ordinary people would simply see an exciting fight. The few present, however, could tell from this brief exchange just how strong Ethan’s fundamentals were.
Yamamoto particularly appreciated this.
However, this alone was not enough to qualify as a captain.
"It’s about time a winner is decided."
Ginrei felt Ethan’s swordsmanship was good and his strength decent, but still insufficient to become a captain. After all, Shunsui had not truly used his Zanpakuto’s abilities yet, merely sparring with swordsmanship. If Ethan could only maintain a stalemate like this...
Just as he thought that, the situation suddenly changed. Instead of carefully responding as before, Ethan swung his long sword in a heavy, imposing strike. The wind wrapped around the blade became turbulent due to the sudden force, no longer completely invisible.
"Is he getting impatient?"
This test determined whether he could be promoted to captain, so impatience would be understandable if his performance was not outstanding. Even Shunsui thought so. However, as he parried the fierce strike and felt the explosive wind sting his face, he realized Ethan had surged forward during the burst.
Watching Ethan’s left hand prepare to strike, Shunsui first assumed he would use Hakuda. Then he noticed something was wrong. Ethan’s left hand was gripping as if holding a sword.
At such close range, the odachi’s length should not allow that move.
Puzzled, Shunsui chose the safer option and leaped upward to evade.
Almost simultaneously, the hem of his pink haori was pierced, then ripped open with a tearing sound.
Without time to feel distressed, Ethan leaped after him, attacking with his right hand. It was still in a sword-holding stance, but this time it was a cleaving motion. free𝑤ebnovel.com
"Could it be...?"
He crossed his twin swords to block.
A crisp metallic clang rang out. As Ethan swung, Shunsui heard him say, "Fifth Stance."
Before he could think, while parrying the blow, he felt two consecutive forces strike his swords, slamming him back down to the ground after his leap.
The sudden change startled the spectators. When Ethan also landed, they noticed his stance had changed.
"Dual-wielding?"
Shunsui immediately retreated upon landing, creating distance. Only then did Ethan stop pursuing.
"Perhaps?"
Ethan smiled and lightly tapped his shoulder with the back of his right sword. Though subtle, Shunsui could see a mark where the blade had pressed.
Combined with Ethan’s left hand still gripping as if holding a sword, the answer was clear.
"The odachi turned into twin swords?"
Shunsui felt a headache coming on. This ability was troublesome.
"No wonder you didn’t mind me seeing the blade that should have been hidden. By the way, can your sword transform into other weapons?"
"Perhaps."
Ethan shrugged. What he had said to Yoruichi before was not merely imitation. He truly could change his weapon’s appearance at will.
"Then you can."
Ethan did not respond. Yoruichi, watching from the side, looked slightly surprised. So he had not just been messing with her back then.
If the situation were appropriate, she would have rushed over, grabbed him, and made him demonstrate it.
Beside her, Ginrei and Yamamoto’s evaluation of Ethan’s Zanpakuto rose further. Initially, they thought it was nothing special, merely using wind to conceal the blade and release wind pressure. Compared to that, its healing ability had seemed more noteworthy.
While decent, it had not appeared top-tier. But a Zanpakuto that could conceal its blade and freely change form meant Ethan could switch weapons at will, making it difficult for opponents to determine what he held.
Combined with his swordsmanship, it was indeed something to anticipate.
As they found the test increasingly interesting and Shunsui began to feel troubled, Ethan suddenly assumed a pose that was extremely familiar to Shunsui.
"This..."
It was the stance he used when releasing his Zanpakuto.
"Could it be...?"
"Flower wind rage and flower god roar, heavenly wind Rage and heavenly demon sneer, Katen Kyokotsu!"
(To be continued.)
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