The blade, wreathed in flickering spiritual light, howled through the air, carving a seamless arc through the center of Nelliel's vision. Its razor-sharp spiritual edge left a long, deep, and eerily precise scar on the ground from wind pressure alone as it swept past the swirling dust.
"First Form: Steel-Sundering Strike!"
Fujimiya Makoto roared with wild abandon.
Yet Nelliel merely watched the figure charging at her calmly before suddenly raising her pure-white lance and swinging it to the side.
"Clang!"
The collision of spiritual pressures erupted into a burst of radiant flames between them.
Upon closer inspection, the blade and the lance never even made direct contact—the defensive barrier of spiritual particles alone was enough to block Fujimiya's full-force slash.
As for the figure charging at her from the front, it dissipated into an afterimage the moment it passed by her.
Clearly, Kyokkō (曲光, "Bent Light") didn't work on everyone.
Though Fujimiya's face still wore that fearless grin, his guard was now at its peak.
This one… is far stronger than that fraud, Shihōin Senji.
"Boom—!"
Nelliel swung her lance. The sheer weight of its bone-like tip tore through the air with a deafening howl.
Fujimiya's body was as light as a fallen leaf before that strike. With barely any effort, the sweeping lance sent him flying, flipping through the air before his feet skidded across the ground, carving two long trails in the dirt.
[Swordsmanship +10]
[Centaur girl! My beloved centaur girl today! Let me crawl under your belly and prprpr!]
Her strength is insane.
But her weakness is just as obvious.
Fujimiya's entire focus was now locked onto the battle. Every sight, every sound, every wisp of energy brushing against his skin—all of it was processed into actionable combat data in his mind.
Only now did he truly understand the words Old Man Yama had once told him:
"Know what must be done in battle."
Dust exploded. Spiritual pressure erupted.
Fujimiya's body zigzagged across the ground, his high-speed Shunpo making him appear like a serpentine streak. A trail of churning dust rose behind him as his blade nearly scraped the earth.
Yet Nelliel simply watched him calmly.
The moment Fujimiya closed in, she thrust her lance forward with a simple, unadorned motion.
"Sshhk."
The sound was almost imperceptible.
But in Fujimiya's vision, the tip of that lance was condensed with a terrifying density of spiritual pressure.
If that strike pierced him, half his body would likely explode.
This was a Vasto Lorde.
The highest class of Menos, the true rulers of Hueco Mundo. Even newly formed, their strength far surpassed that of a Captain-level Shinigami.
Yet, faced with this lethal thrust, Fujimiya didn't dodge.
He met it head-on.
His blade, swirling with surging spiritual pressure, traced a flowing arc like running water.
"Screeeech—!"
The next instant, Fujimiya's Asauchi—wreathed in liquid-like spiritual energy—clashed directly against the lance.
The moment blade met spear, an earsplitting metallic shriek tore through the air, as if metal were being ripped apart barehanded.
Steel scraped against bone-like material.
And just before their forces reached their peak—
They crossed.
Fujimiya's eyes suddenly flooded with blood vessels, his pupils contracting to needle-thin points.
His vision turned monochrome—a world of black, white, and gray.
Only the flickering spiritual pressure retained traces of light.
Everything he saw was processed in his brain in ultra-slow motion, frame by frame.
Clear. Precise.
[No-Injury Zone]
In that fleeting moment, his blade tilted by a mere 0.1 degrees.
That infinitesimal adjustment reduced the resistance against his slash by half.
At the same time, explosive spiritual pressure erupted beneath his feet, propelling him forward at blinding speed.
Muscles, bones, and blade formed a tightly drawn bow, amplifying the power of his slash to its absolute limit in an imperceptible instant.
[Second Form: Like Water]
As they passed each other, Fujimiya's blade moved like actual flowing water, gliding along the bone lance before aiming straight for Nelliel's exposed abdomen.
"Hm?"
Even for a Vasto Lorde like Nelliel, Fujimiya's reflexes were startling.
Still, she remained unshaken.
With a slight adjustment, the lance she had thrust forward now tilted to intercept the blade.
"Clang!"
Sparks erupted between steel and bone.
Fujimiya's pupils burned crimson.
Deflected.
But it wasn't over yet.
His body, light as air, shot past Nelliel's human-faced, antelope-bodied form.
Then, with a stomp that cratered the ground, he pivoted at an impossibly sharp angle—
And charged again.
The sound of his ankles creaking under the strain was almost audible.
His blade was now completely sheathed in spiritual light.
[Like Water: Second Wave]
This time, his target was clear.
Nelliel's fluffy, twitching sheep buttocks!
His observations had been precise.
Due to her centaurian physiology, her human torso was front-heavy, leaving her hindquarters poorly guarded.
If there was any chance of landing a hit, it had to be from behind!
[Shunpo +10]
[Attacking a girl's butt like this is just… just too perfect! Let me experience that narrow sheep path too!!]
Feeling the sharp sting of spiritual pressure from behind, Nelliel finally frowned, twisting her lance to guard her rear.
Blade met spear once more.
No direct hit.
But Fujimiya's eyes gleamed.
The lance moved!
Whether it was due to the awkward angle or the rushed defense, one thing was clear—his strategy was working.
[Swordsmanship +10]
[More! More! Keep charging at big sister centaur's butt!!]