The sea of flowers blanketed the entire platform — vivid red blood and strands of white hair mingled together, like blood-stained, weathered bones.
Hearing Tsunayashiro Kojiro's words, Asano Kiyoshi didn't reply with words — he answered with action instead.
"Hadō #57 — Daichi Tenyō (Earthly Revolving Dance)!"
As Kiyoshi's voice fell, the entire platform began to tremble. The ground cracked into stones of all sizes, which lifted Tsunayashiro Kojiro up into the air with them.
Floating above the platform, Kojiro's expression flickered between cloudy and clear. He immediately used Shunpo, trying to get back down to solid ground as fast as possible.
But at that moment, a wave of blistering heat came rolling straight toward him!
At the same time, Asano Kiyoshi's cold voice drifted through the searing air:
"O ruler! Mask of flesh and blood, all creation, fluttering wings, that which bears the crown of man! Truth and temperance — stand only with your fangs atop the dream wall of the sinless!"
"Hadō #33 — Sōkatsui! (Blue Fire, Crash Down!)"
Blue and inky-black flames intertwined like a colossal serpent, coiling toward Kojiro. The surrounding space warped from the intense heat!
Watching the firestorm about to engulf Kojiro, Kiyoshi's expression turned a bit complicated as he spoke:
"If I'm not mistaken, your Shikai ability is to transform your blade into a kind of dispersed Reishi state. Through these scattered Reishi, you can freely invade any object — whether it's solid ground, stone blocks, or even Bakudō-created chains and barriers, you can cut through and manipulate them all.
"It really is like your sword's release command says — the 'key to open everything' (Kensoku literally means 'key')."
"But to create huge earthen walls like you did, you need two things: First, a sufficiently large mass of material to control. Second, your own spiritual pressure must be enough to sustain it. By lifting you into the air, I've broken your defensive options. Now you have no way to defend against my fully incanted Kidō. So, give up — you no longer have any chance of winning."
Hearing Kiyoshi's calm analysis, Kojiro let out a bitter smile. Facing the flames that would soon swallow him whole, he showed not a flicker of panic. His voice carried only a faint regret:
"You really are a genius. To analyze my Shikai so quickly and even craft a counter-strategy for it… I've spent so long studying your records, knowing your fighting style inside and out. But all that information — you flipped it on its head in no time. Honestly, it's kind of embarrassing."
As he spoke, the flames reached him. The burning air seared his hair until it curled and crisped — yet he stayed calm, licking his cracked, bloodied lips before continuing:
"But, you know… I really do have a reason I must win—"
His voice dropped low, but as he finished speaking, a sudden surge of spiritual pressure erupted from him. The blood-colored dagger in his hand flared with a dazzling crimson light.
In the next instant, he was like a blade himself — cutting upstream through the sea of flames, cleaving it apart as he lunged straight for Kiyoshi!
"Your explanation was almost perfect! But you missed one thing!If my Shikai can open any other object — then why couldn't it open the shackles on my own body?!"
Kojiro's body was riddled with injuries. His clothes were scorched away by the flames, exposing skin raw and covered in burns. His eyes were bloodshot, his lips split and bleeding from the heat — yet he didn't care at all.
Instead, he bared that bloodied mouth, shouting at Kiyoshi:
"Bind him — Kensoku!"
When Kiyoshi saw Kojiro break through the flames, he'd already triggered Shunpo to pull back again — but that single shout of Kensoku! froze him in place!
He felt as if his mind and body both stuttered for an instant — the pause was brief, but by the time he regained control, that red blade was already at point-blank range!
Too late! I can't dodge!
Kiyoshi stared at the approaching blade. His adrenaline spiked, flooding his system. He forced Reishi through his numbed limbs, twisting just enough to make the blade plunge into his abdomen instead of his heart.
Blood splashed onto Kojiro's face — yet there was no joy of victory in Kojiro's eyes. His face was lined now, his body trembling, as if he'd aged decades in an instant.
The onlookers gaped at the sight of Kiyoshi, run through by the blade, unable to believe their eyes.
Ikkaku's face twisted with rage, the crimson eye-shadow at his eyes seeming to burn like fresh blood. His whole body tensed, ready to charge and cleave Kojiro apart — but Yumichika grabbed him just in time.
Byakuya watched it all, then turned to look toward the Tsunayashiro clan's seats, an expression of deep loathing twisting his face.
Nanao and Yachiru both stood frozen, mouths agape, unable to speak a word.
Ukitake coughed up two mouthfuls of blood in his anxiety, making Kyoraku hastily press a cup of water and medicine into his hands, murmuring reassurance:
"Don't worry… Kiyoshi will be fine."
But even he didn't sound convinced.
The Head Captain's eyes lowered just enough to hide the emotion behind them.
Aizen, with his usual faint smile, cast a sidelong glance at a middle-aged woman weeping at the edge of the stands. A ripple of something unreadable flickered in his gaze.
Gin stared at Kojiro and murmured softly:
"Burning your soul to ashes… was it really worth it?"
Tōsen said nothing — he only clenched his Zanpakutō tight. That was his justice.
Crimson flower petals burst skyward alongside Kiyoshi's blood. Beneath their radiant beauty, the petals carried stains of crimson that could pierce the soul.
Kojiro looked down at Kiyoshi, his voice weak:
"It's over. I don't want to kill you. Just concede."
But Kiyoshi, gasping through pain, raised his hand with great effort and pressed it firmly to Kojiro's shoulder. His consciousness flickered in and out from the agony, yet he laughed and spat out blood, staring into Kojiro's eyes:
"It's over? No… this is just the beginning, Tsunayashiro Kojiro!"
As his words fell, the far end of the flower sea — once hidden in thick mist — slowly came into focus.
Atop that platform, three blood-red characters stood boldly etched into stone:
"望乡台 — The Farewell Platform!"
T/N: For up to 20 chapters ahead on all my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle
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