Katsutoshi's ferocious but straightforward attack had not been difficult to deflect for Yaso, if the fluidity of his motions was any indication. He hit the blade of the Zanpakutō with the guard of his saber in a quick cross motion with his right arm, then pushed forward and gave Katsutoshi a mouthful of elbow. They both quickly stepped away from each other just beyond striking distance.

Yaso was the first one to talk.

"Don't give me that look; you came at me without even trying to guard yourself, what are you expecting?"

Katsutoshi could taste his own blood, albeit it was just a small wound on the lip.

He's just a filthy human! How did he do this? How could he stop my Zanpakutō? What the hell's going on here?

"Oi, what the hell's with that sword of yours?" He demanded.

"What, this?" Yaso raised his sword vertically for an instant, then assumed proper guard again. "Yeah, it's a real saber. I usually don't carry it, but we had an exhibition today." He glanced around. "You sure have messed up my fencing gear."

The expression on Katsutoshi's face didn't change, like the words had been completely meaningless. His anger, too, was still apparent. He grabbed his katana with both hands, raised it slightly, and disappeared in a blur before Yaso's eyes. Seree gasped.

Shunpo!

"Behind you!"

She had shouted at the top of her lungs. The shunpo had been so fast she only barely followed it, and the human looked like he hadn't followed at all. Yaso turned around almost instinctively, describing a wide arc with his saber. The impact easily turned its much thinner blade away, but he managed to block Katsutoshi's attack with the guard.

Clang! The swords went as they clashed. Yaso almost lost his balance after parrying, and Katsutoshi fiercely pressed his advantage.

I have never seen a sword style like that human's.

Seree looked at the combatants as best she could from her precarious position. Parry, riposte, parry, riposte. While Katsutoshi seemed to have the advantage, Yaso managed a good riposte whenever he deflected the Zanpakutō, and parried firmly with the guard when he couldn't.

"Your right!" Seree cried out at the top of her lungs.

Shunpo again. Yaso reacted faster, but still looked bewildered by his opponent's movements. For a split seconds they both stopped, and suddenly Yaso rushed to stand between the girl and her attacker.

"How the..." Katsutoshi started to ask, but Yaso interrupted.

"I don't need to be a genius to notice you looking at her with that killing intent. What the heck is that?"

Seree couldn't see his face, but knew the last question had been directed at her.

"That's shunpo, it's a movement technique that uses reiatsu to move extremely fast."

"Reiatsu?"

"Yes, spirit power."

*Thunk*

There was a very intense pulse of something she didn't quite identify. It had startled her, and apparently had startled Katsutoshi too.

Reiatsu? No, I felt that. It was like a feeling. Pain?

"Spirit. Riiiight." Yaso talked in the slightly sarcastic tone of disbelief.

Seree noticed Katsutoshi was looking rather distracted. Yaso took a cautious step towards him, which immediately snapped his opponent to attention.

"Dammit, outta time." Katsutoshi muttered, then spoke loudly. "It's yer lucky day. I'll finish you off next time."

He disappeared with a shunpo. Yaso looked frantically around him, until Seree saw him fixing his gaze at some spot behind her.

"Is he gone?" She said, struggling with the kidō and failing to turn her head. "I can't feel his reiatsu at all."

Yaso continued looking in the distance, then closed his eyes and pressed with his left hand fingers on them. When he looked again, blinking repeatedly, his expression had changed, and Seree couldn't quite read it. Surprised wasn't quite the way she'd put it, but it was close.

"Bloody..." He muttered unhappily.

"Gone?"

"I guess so."

Guess?

He raised his saber and examined it. The guard had several large dents, and his grip on the hilt seemed to be trembling slighty. His breathing was heavier, but well controlled.

"He was really good." He finally concluded. He then looked at Seree with extreme intensity for a few seconds, making her feel rather uncomfortable. "Are you going to tell me what's going on now?"

What's gotten into him? He sounds really worried now.

"I... Ugh..." She struggled, but still didn't manage to break the restraining spell.

"Miyanaga-san! Miyanaga-san!" A voice called in the distance.

"Oh. Yamada-san! Over here!" Seree replied.

Yaso turned towards the direction of the voice and saw two people running towards them.

"Friends of yours?"

"Hrmmm... Y..."

"Are you ok? Need a hand?"

Yaso grabbed her left arm and pulled her up. The kidō shattered instantly, shaking her from head to toe, and making her let out a small cry of surprise and pain.

"Miyanaga-san!"

The rapidly approaching voice carried a note of worry, but it was the second voice that caught Seree's attention.

"Howl, Zabimaru!"