Chapter 806: Chapter 633: A Gorgeous and Elegant Battle, Aizen Sousuke vs. Orochimaru! (Part 2)
Even the former Captain of the Kido Corps in the Quiet Spirit Court could never do something as casual as Aizen Sousuke just did!
The speed of that mass of lightning was astonishing!
No one present could possibly take that hit head-on and come out unscathed!
Yet this move was merely Aizen Sousuke’s initial probe against Orochimaru, using Thunder Roar Sear’s extreme speed and explosive impact to test Orochimaru’s speed...
"Bakudo No.81, Splitting Void!"
Orochimaru’s palm suddenly thrust out, erecting a transparent Spiritual Pressure Shield Wall before him. The endless Hollow Spiritual Power in his body was enough to let him cast this without incantation—though in truth, this was already pushing Orochimaru to his limit!
This Splitting Void...
Was enough to withstand any Hadou ranked below eighty-nine!
As a matter of course, the Thunder Roar Sear of Hadou No.80 was easily blocked by Splitting Void’s barrier, not even stirring up the slightest ripple...
However...
The next instant, the Splitting Void barrier shattered in a flash!
In Orochimaru’s slightly surprised gaze, he saw the glowing Zanpakuto in Aizen Sousuke’s hand fall upon it as if striking glass...
And effortlessly cleave Splitting Void’s barrier apart!
A Splitting Void that could so easily block Thunder Roar Sear...
Couldn’t withstand even a single slash from Aizen Sousuke!
Just one strike, and it directly smashed through Splitting Void’s defense!
That swing was so gorgeous and graceful that even Orochimaru couldn’t help but lose focus for a moment. Was that bastard Aizen Sousuke using Kyoka Suigetsu?
No...
It wasn’t Kyoka Suigetsu!
It was nothing but Aizen Sousuke’s Kenjutsu honed to the extreme!
Be it Zanpakuto, Shunpo, Hakuda, or Kido, there was virtually nothing Aizen Sousuke wasn’t proficient in; even Kenjutsu, which he’d picked up as if on a whim, was enough to place him at the very pinnacle of this world!
Even when fighting someone of Orochimaru’s caliber...
Aizen Sousuke’s battle posture was still that elegant!
In this respect as well, it showcased the man’s confidence!
Clang!
Ame no Murakumo hurriedly intercepted before Orochimaru!
After hiding in the Hollow World for thousands of years, a trace of genuine astonishment appeared on Orochimaru’s face. Separated by their crossed blades, he looked at Aizen Sousuke opposite him, the corners of his mouth curling as he praised, "What a Kenjutsu genius... and I haven’t even seen you seriously practice Kenjutsu before..."
If he remembered correctly...
Back in the base’s archive study, the time Aizen Sousuke spent training Kenjutsu had actually been very short; it seemed that after obtaining Kyoka Suigetsu’s Shikai, he gave up on Kenjutsu training.
Which was perfectly normal.
Because what a Shinigami needs more is the Spiritual Pressure released by their Zanpakuto.
Looking at it now...
That was never him giving up on Kenjutsu training at all!
It was that Aizen Sousuke had already, back in that period, trained his Kenjutsu to a level of complete mastery, and simply no longer needed to waste time on it!
Just that brilliant strike from earlier, in the span of a heartbeat, breaking through Splitting Void’s defensive barrier and nearly killing Orochimaru, was enough to prove Aizen Sousuke’s attainments in Kenjutsu...
"Kenjutsu, huh?"
Aizen Sousuke chuckled softly, leisurely swinging Kyoka Suigetsu in his hand as he slashed toward Orochimaru again and again. "When I first came into contact with Kenjutsu, I already knew how far relying on Kenjutsu alone could take me..."
Aizen Sousuke kept sending arcs of light slashing toward Orochimaru, the corners of his lips lifting in a smile. "From my point of view, the time I’ve invested into Kenjutsu is already more than enough..."
Aizen Sousuke’s blade-light flashed!
In that moment, Aizen seemed like a Kenjutsu master tempered through countless years—no, he had skipped the years of training entirely, relying solely on his talent to breeze through that stage!
"This guy’s talent..."
Orochimaru’s expression grew somewhat ugly.
Right now, all Orochimaru could do was hold Ame no Murakumo in his hand, continually parrying Aizen Sousuke’s blade, only occasionally able to stab out a single sword like a cold, venomous serpent!
Originally, Orochimaru had been wondering whether Uehara Naraku had overestimated Aizen Sousuke. Thinking about that question now felt utterly ridiculous...
This wasn’t overestimation at all!
If anything, he’d been greatly underestimated!
Only now, when Orochimaru and Aizen Sousuke actually crossed blades, did he finally realize why Uehara Naraku placed such high hopes on Aizen Sousuke—this guy’s talent was downright terrifying...
Clearly it was only a clash of Kenjutsu...
Yet the Kyoka Suigetsu Zanpakuto in Aizen Sousuke’s hand moved as if it were an extension of his arm, sometimes slashing out a half-moon, sometimes thrusting out like a shooting star!
This guy practically grasped Kenjutsu by analogy the moment he touched it!
Orochimaru could even see traces of Orochi Style Swordsmanship!
Relying on Kenjutsu alone, Aizen Sousuke was enough to counter any sword style; in an instant, Aizen had already used his own eye for battle to see through the weak points of Orochi Style Swordsmanship!
Obviously, this was the first time Orochimaru had used the Orochi Style Swordsmanship he’d once created, in this world and in front of Aizen Sousuke, yet after they’d exchanged only a few moves, Aizen Sousuke had directly seen through it—and then turned it right back on Orochimaru himself!
The insidious Orochi Style Swordsmanship was like a snake...
At any little opening, it could strike out and sink its fangs into the enemy!
Aizen Sousuke was just as he claimed—he had long since honed his Kenjutsu to the absolute limit; no, it should be said that he had honed every ability of his to the limit!
Shunpo!
Aizen Sousuke’s figure vanished in an instant!
At the very moment he disappeared, Aizen Sousuke was already slipping past Orochimaru’s flank, their Zanpakuto clashing again and again, the clang of metal interwoven with flashes of lightning!
This strike didn’t land!
A move like Shunpo really wasn’t anything impressive in front of Orochimaru!
Even though Aizen Sousuke’s Shunpo was extremely fast, it wasn’t enough to deceive Orochimaru, who had undergone the baptism of Space-Time Jutsu!
"How troublesome..."
Aizen Sousuke raised Kyoka Suigetsu horizontally in his hand!
A brilliant blade of light cleaved out; on Kyoka Suigetsu’s sword aura there was a layer of formless Spiritual Pressure, and a single Curved Moon Slash instantly forced Orochimaru back!
Even Orochimaru didn’t think he could take that strike head-on...
Just that Curved Moon Slash alone had destructive power on par with a Hadou No.80 or higher!
The Spiritual Pressure on that Curved Moon Slash was so intense it practically split the entire arena diagonally in half in an instant, while the Arrancar Hollow scrambled away in panic!
However...
This move was only bait.
The next moment, Aizen Sousuke’s figure Shunpoed to Orochimaru’s back, Kyoka Suigetsu in his hand drawing a beautiful arc as it swung!
The Kyoka Suigetsu Zanpakuto...
Was reversed in Aizen’s grip and driven straight into Orochimaru’s body!
Even Orochimaru couldn’t help but feel a bit impressed—this was a technique from Orochi Style Swordsmanship, one he himself hadn’t even used, and yet Aizen Sousuke had managed to derive it on his own in the middle of battle at this moment!
Aizen Sousuke didn’t even bother to look at Orochimaru behind him; he merely let out a low chuckle at the corner of his mouth and softly praised, "It really does make one sigh in admiration... even I have never seen such exquisite swordsmanship before..."
Indeed.
In the Soul Society, research into Kenjutsu was somewhat neglected.
After graduating from the Shin’o Academy, Shinigami were more inclined to focus on communicating with their Zanpakuto in order to train Shikai and Bankai, because that was what could most effectively strengthen their Spiritual Power...
And once they attained Shikai and Bankai...
Training Kenjutsu didn’t seem to have much use anymore.
After all, enemies that could be taken care of with Bankai techniques didn’t require any special Kenjutsu to deal with; and if an enemy couldn’t be brought down even with Bankai, it didn’t seem like there was anything else they themselves could do about it...
Drip, drip...
Drip, drip, drip...
Blood trickled down bit by bit along the Kyoka Suigetsu Zanpakuto.
Aizen Sousuke tilted his head slightly, glanced at the injured Orochimaru standing behind him, and murmured softly, "If this is all there is to it, Mr. Orochimaru, won’t that leave both of us a little disappointed?"
"Heh heh heh heh... this doesn’t even count as a warm-up..."
A strange smile slowly split the corner of Orochimaru’s mouth, and yet the wounds on his body were completely healed in an instant—this was Super-speed Regeneration...
No...
This rate of healing was even more terrifying than Super-speed Regeneration!
As the injuries on Orochimaru’s body were recovering, the Ame no Murakumo Zanpakuto in his hand slowly merged into his body; the scene looked especially eerie...
Ame no Murakumo...
Was originally something that dwelled inside the body of the Yamata no Orochi!
