https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-369-Equally-Matched-No-It-s-Dominance-/12944072/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-371-You-ve-Grown-Stronger-Toshiro/12944079/
Chapter 370: Winterlion: I've Seen Through Your Weakness!
Chapter 370: Winterlion: I've Seen Through Your Weakness!
The crisscrossing slashes tore through the air, each strike a lightning-fast burst of light that, upon dissipating, resembled a flurry of dead soul butterflies fluttering past Winterlion.
As the ice shards scattered, carrying flecks of blood, Winterlion, who had just dashed forward, was suddenly sent flying backward at an astonishing speed.
"It seems the special training wasn't enough to toughen you up, Winterlion.
Did you forget what I said earlier? It's fine to control the pace of your attacks, but don't be foolish enough to think that every retreat is a sign of weakness."
You don't need me to explain the concept of advancing through retreat, do you?
Your cold breath did restrict my movements, but when did I ever say that I needed to dodge or avoid your attacks?"
As Winterlion was repelled by his "Mad Butterfly" technique, Night City didn't wait for his next move. Instead, he raised his Zanpakuto and swiftly began chanting the Ghost Path Incantation.
"Overlord! Blood Mask of Flesh, Ten Thousand Phenomena, Feather Strike, Named as Human! Blaze and Chaos, Reverse Surge Across the Sea, Step Forward!
Pathbreaker Thirty-One · Crimson Flame..."
A ball of aura-condensed fire had already formed before Night City, and just as he was about to release it, a strong intuition warned him of an impending danger from above.
When Night City looked up, he saw another Winterlion hovering in mid-air, holding the Great Lotus Ice Wheel and diving down as he chanted the Ghost Path.
"Dragon Hail Frame!"
The rapidly descending Winterlion tightened his grip on the Ice Wheel and thrust his sword forward. As the blade's tip pierced Night City, a massive cross-shaped ice formation instantly froze Night City's body.
A small iceberg, several meters tall, rose in the center of the arena, and Night City, his face still showing a hint of surprise, was completely encased in the ice.
"Crackle——!"
After completing this move, Winterlion, who had just descended from the sky, was now panting heavily due to the immense aura expenditure. The ice crystal petals on his back shattered into three pieces.
He had only recently mastered Bankai, and his control over its power was still developing.
Apart from "Dragon Hail Frame," he had also used "Ice Illusion," a technique that could only be used once per Bankai activation.
"Ice Illusion" was the Great Lotus Ice Wheel's ultimate survival ability, creating a decoy made of ice with the same aura fluctuations as the user, making it nearly indistinguishable from the real thing.
Winterlion had used "Ice Illusion" to block Night City's sword technique, while his real body soared into the sky. He seized the moment when Night City's Ghost Path left him vulnerable and decisively ended the battle with the powerful "Dragon Hail Frame."
After unleashing a series of powerful moves, Winterlion, who had only recently mastered Bankai, was naturally exhausted.
But seeing Night City completely frozen in the ice, Winterlion couldn't help but feel a sense of vengeance fulfilled.
The Bankai form of the Great Lotus Ice Wheel was far superior to its Initial Release state. Winterlion was confident that even if Night City's strength exceeded his own, he wouldn't be able to break free from the ice as he had done before.
After all, in his Bankai state, his aura surpassed Night City's Initial Release state.
However, Winterlion soon realized something was amiss. Night City had been frozen by his Zanpakuto's power, so the battle should have been decided. Why hadn't the Captain-Commander called a halt? Could it be that...
As if struck by a sudden realization, Winterlion, his face filled with astonishment, turned to look at the cross-shaped iceberg behind him.
Soon after, Winterlion discovered that Night City, who was frozen within the ice, was actually grinning at him. At the same time, Winterlion also noticed that the short blade on Night City's left hand had somehow pierced his thigh.
"Boom———!"
Accompanied by a loud explosion, the massive iceberg shattered, and Night City instantly broke free from the ice.
"Millennium Ice Prison!"
Seeing Night City break free, Winterlion didn't hesitate and once again wielded his Great Lotus Ice Wheel, drawing upon all the remaining aura on his body, he unleashed another powerful attack.
The moisture in the air quickly condensed, and soon, massive ice pillars rose from around Night City, enclosing him at the center.
As Winterlion swung his Zanpakuto, the giant ice pillars that were originally swirling around Night City suddenly, as if guided, rushed towards Night City at the center.
Having been pinned down and rubbed by Night City for half a year, Winterlion could be said to be the person who understood Night City's Zanpakuto abilities the best, aside from Night City himself.
Winterlion understood why Night City hadn't been frozen by "Dragon Hail Frame" earlier; he glanced at the short blade Night City had stabbed into his own leg.
Blessed with a short blade that could reverse unfavorable factors into favorable ones, Night City had reversed the freezing and abnormal status effects of the ice, allowing him to remain unaffected in the frozen state.
When Winterlion used "Dragon Hail Frame" as a finishing move, Night City, sensing that he couldn't dodge, took advantage of the moment when Winterlion's blade pierced his body to use the Beyond short blade to cut his own thigh.
When Winterlion first learned of Beyond's incredible ability, he couldn't help but exclaim its absurdity.
However, through continuous battles with Night City, Winterlion also came to understand that while Beyond's ability was powerful, the risks associated with it were equally significant.
At the same time, the timing of using Beyond's ability was also crucial; not everyone could use it to reverse the situation when their body was under attack.
It was similar to how Night City had just faced Winterlion's "Dragon Hail Frame"; if Night City had stabbed himself faster, it would have been self-harm, and if he had stabbed later, he wouldn't even have had the chance to reverse the situation, as his body would have already been frozen.
On one hand, the power of the Zanpakuto was formidable, but Night City's excellent reflexes and rich combat experience were equally crucial.
Moreover, Winterlion also knew that Night City's seemingly invincible Zanpakuto ability had certain limitations.
Aside from requiring a massive aura consumption with each use, it couldn't be used consecutively in a short time, meaning it had a cooldown period.
This was why Winterlion was now going all-in, using the ultimate move "Millennium Ice Prison" again.
Having just used Beyond's ability, Night City couldn't use it again in such a short time, so if Winterlion wanted to defeat Night City, this was his chance!
"Boom——————!"
Multiple ice pillars gathered together, directly transforming into an even larger iceberg. The original arena had become an ice field, and after using this final move, the ice crystal petals on Winterlion's back shattered completely.
Similar to a timer, the ice crystal petals broke, and Winterlion exited the Bankai state. His aura was almost entirely depleted, leaving him in a significantly weakened state.
(End of Chapter)
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