Time flies, and nine months have passed. Yamahiko has had temporary Zanpakuto for eleven months now, conducting soul infusion daily, yet the Zanpakuto still hasn't acknowledged him.
Yamahiko wasn't worried; he knew that his Zanpakuto was far from weak. He continued to diligently work on improving himself.
However, due to his current status as a fifth-level Reiryoku, he couldn't learn advanced Kido, nor could he master the high-level Hado techniques like the Hadō #63. Raikōhō or the Hadō #88. Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō, which were crucial for researching the lightning attribute Shunkō.
This limitation meant that his research into Shunkō was slowly hitting a bottleneck. During this phase, his primary goal was to raise his Reiryoku to the sixth level to make progress in other areas.
Yamahiko was still a bit far from reaching the sixth level, but during this time, his Shunpo, swordsmanship, and unarmed combat skills had improved rapidly thanks to Suì-Fēng's special training.
Currently, Yamahiko was stepping into the 11th Division's barracks. As soon as he entered, voices rang out in unison, "Hello, Vice-Captain Yamahiko."
[Note: Yamahiko is the Vice-Captain of the Patrol Corps, not the 2nd Division.]
Many members of the 11th Division on both sides of the hallway greeted him with respect. This respect wasn't just due to his position; it wasn't also because of his relationship with Yachiru Kusajishi either. It stemmed from the challenges Yamahiko had taken up within the 11th Division.
When he first arrived in the 11th Division, he wasn't taken seriously. He was seen as a little brat, and even when he challenged regular Shinigami, they underestimated him. However, he easily won those battles.
Over time, he progressed to fighting seated officers of the 11th Division, initially losing but eventually reaching a point where he could defeat members ranked below the fifth seat.
His biggest challenge came when he challenged Ikkaku Madarame, who was the 3rd Seat of the 11th Division.
But, so far, he had been consistently defeated by Ikkaku, unable to even force him into his Shikai form. This defeat had frustrated him.
Yamahiko's visit this time was to challenge Ikkaku Madarame once more.
"Yamahiko, you finally showed up. It's been a month since you last came. I thought you got scared," Ikkaku said, holding his Zanpakuto while standing in the center of the room, where he had been practicing.
Yamahiko smiled and replied, "I hope you can still say that after our match."
"Kid, you're quite confident," Ikkaku replied, standing atop the practice platform with an arrogant expression.
Yamahiko walked up to Ikkaku and said, "Of course, I've been training for this month just to beat you."
"Then bring it on," Ikkaku said, gripping his Zanpakuto tightly.
"Both, be careful" one of the onlookers warned.
Yamahiko's body disappeared at that moment, and in the next instant, a longsword thrust toward Ikkaku's back.
"Hmph."
Ikkaku Madarame pivoted around his right foot, twisting his body as Yamahiko's sword passed harmlessly under his armpit.
At the same moment, Ikkaku slashed horizontally with his right hand, his longsword aimed at Yamahiko's neck.
His reaction was incredibly fast.
Yamahiko's Shunpo speed far exceeded Ikkaku's, but Ikkaku's reactions were swift. He managed to evade Yamahiko's counterattack and still be ready to respond.
As Ikkaku's blade neared Yamahiko's neck, Yamahiko disappeared once more, reappearing at Ikkaku's side, his Zanpakuto again thrusting towards Ikkaku's shoulder.
Yamahiko's fighting style primarily involved thrusting with his Zanpakuto, rarely using slashing strikes. This suited his fighting style better, especially considering his small stature and proficiency in Shunpo.
Another reason was that if he relied solely on sword strikes, he couldn't match Ikkaku.
As it seemed Yamahiko was about to strike him, Ikkaku's Zanpakuto swept upward, deflecting Yamahiko's blade.
Yamahiko had aimed his thrust at Ikkaku's shoulder, a bottom-to-top attack that left Ikkaku unable to lift his arm to block. Instead, he had to use an upward sweep to defend.
This defensive motion left an opening in his posture. Yamahiko curled his left hand into a fist and aimed a strike at Ikkaku's lower abdomen.
Palm Strike.
Bang!
Ikkaku quickly balled his left hand into a fist and blocked Yamahiko's strike at his abdomen with his hand.
At this moment, Ikkaku's right hand, which had previously deflected Yamahiko's Zanpakuto, directly gripped it and chopped it down, aiming for Yamahiko's shoulder.
Facing this attack, Yamahiko rolled to his left and simultaneously pulled back his Zanpakuto. Along the path of his roll, he struck at Ikkaku's shin.
Ikkaku could only leap backward. However, while still mid-air, Yamahiko hurled three projectiles from his left hand. They targeted Ikkaku's head, chest, and abdomen.
These three projectiles were custom-made by Yamahiko. They had a handle of two inches and a blade of three inches, resembling a military-style bayonet with sharp protrusions and deep blood grooves.
While the souls in Soul Society were composed of Reishi, they also had blood, and losing high amount of blood would be fatal. Even members of the Zero Division, like Ichibe Hyosube, were not exempt.
Yamahiko crafted these projectiles with the intent to kill his opponents as efficiently as possible.
"What a sneaky kid."
Ikkaku Madarame saw the projectiles coming towards him. He swung his longsword twice in the air, deflecting the projectiles aimed at his head and chest. As he landed, he pushed off with his foot, gliding sideways to evade the projectile aimed at his abdomen.
But as he steadied himself, a figure appeared in front of him, and Yamahiko's Zanpakuto thrust once more, targeting Ikkaku's chest.
Ikkaku, angling his longsword to intercept Yamahiko's Zanpakuto. Yet, in the next instant, Yamahiko's left hand revealed a short spike, stabbing towards Ikkaku's chest.
Ikkaku pushed forward with his Zanpakuto, momentarily clearing the path for the spike. He swiftly moved backward, attempting to avoid Yamahiko's strike.
Splat.
Yamahiko's spike left a bloody mark across Ikkaku's chest. Instead of pressing his advantage, Yamahiko watched Ikkaku and smiled, saying, "Release your Shikai, Ikkaku-senpai."
Yamahiko's fighting style drew inspiration from the Stealth Force's assassination techniques and the combat tactics of Renji Abarai during his fight with Byakuya Kuchiki, utilizing a hidden short blade in his left hand to launch surprise attacks.
During this past month, Yamahiko had focused on refining this combination of concealed weaponry and Zanpakuto, enhancing his close combat capabilities.
"Very well, I'll fight you with my Shikai," Ikkaku replied, understanding that he couldn't win against Yamahiko solely with his combat skills.
Although he felt somewhat reluctant, Ikkaku muttered, "Grow, Hōzukimaru."
With Ikkaku's words, his Zanpakuto transformed from its sword form into a long spear. At the tip of the spear was a blade, and this was the first form of Ikkaku's Zanpakuto - the long spear form.
Ikkaku twirled the long spear in his right hand, making it spin around his arm before it settled behind him, the blade pointing directly at the ground.
Then, he took a step forward with his left foot, bent his knee, and assumed a combat stance in front of Yamahiko. He extended his left hand towards Yamahiko and beckoned, saying, "Come at me."