N°1 Dancer

The battle was incredibly tense.

Due to the barrage of red artillery, heat waves could be seen everywhere in the jungle, which was once overgrown with weeds.

Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika stood up, looking somewhat disheveled.

"Wow… that was a surprise."

"Even though we were ambushed, this only proves that we were on the right track." Ikkaku picked up his red-tasseled spear, and his fighting spirit surged once again.

Saikyō's surprise attack had the same effect as a war drum, awakening the long-forgotten bloodlust in Ikkaku.

He gripped his spear tightly, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.

"Ikkaku, maybe the two of us should be more cautious. You've seen the power of his attack just now," Yumichika warned gently.

"Yumi-san, are you backing down?" Ikkaku frowned.

"Ikkaku, I never said that. Don't make such wild assumptions," Yumichika shot him a glare, a look of contempt crossing his face.

"Ha! That's the Yumichika I know." Ikkaku grinned in excitement. "I can't wait. I want to see with my own eyes if he can truly stand before me with respect!"

Even though they hadn't even seen Saikyō in person yet, they had already suffered a hidden defeat.

But Ikkaku was still as confident and strong as ever!

A moment later, Saikyō emerged from the forest, and the two sides finally came face to face.

"So young?" Ikkaku raised an eyebrow, surprised by Saikyō's youthful appearance.

At least in terms of age and looks, Saikyō wasn't what he had expected.

"Madarame Ikkaku, Ayasegawa Yumichika…"

"I didn't expect the two of you to come looking for me."

Saikyō spoke bluntly, calling them by name.

His words were like a thunderclap, shocking the two of them.

"What!?"

"Yumi, did I hear that right? He knows our names?" Ikkaku gripped his spear, his expression becoming strange.

"Ikkaku, think about it. This isn't all that surprising," Yumichika said, somewhat smugly. "After all, we're well-known figures in several districts."

"You have a point!"

Ikkaku nodded in agreement.

After a brief disagreement, the two began bantering back and forth in front of Saikyō.

"Pfft!"

"Just as I expected, two quirky personalities."

Saikyō almost burst out laughing.

The bald-headed Ikkaku and flamboyant Yumichika were exactly as he imagined—entertaining in every way.

"Kid…"

"You won't be laughing for long!"

Ikkaku, mistaking Saikyō's amusement as an insult, grew furious.

"First of all, I'm not a kid. My name is Saikyō," Saikyō replied calmly. "Secondly, you're a little too confident."

"Saikyō, right? Enough talk. Today, we're destined to have a match to the death!" Ikkaku held his red-tasseled spear, grinning with excitement.

"A bald man and a pretty boy…"

"You ran all the way here just to shout? You must be desperate," Saikyō said, deliberately goading them.

Pretty boy? Who the hell are you calling a pretty boy!?

Yumichika exploded in anger.

Although he was proud of his beauty and femininity, he despised being mocked by others. Aside from Ikkaku, he couldn't stand others' opinions on his appearance.

The word "pretty boy" was like a sharp knife, stabbing straight into his heart, instantly sending him into a rage!

"Hey… do you not want to admit it? But it seems like you're addicted to being called a pretty boy," Saikyō said with a lazy stretch and yawn.

"I… you… what the hell!!!"

Yumichika, utterly furious, began to speak incoherently.

If Ikkaku hadn't grabbed his arm, Yumichika would have rushed forward to fight Saikyō right then and there.

"Shin'ō Academy students sure are good at verbal jabs," Ikkaku, also irked, tried to keep his emotions in check.

"Baldy, are you really going to step in for him?"

"If not?"

Ikkaku spun his spear around.

"If you're thinking of taking the stage, I advise you to give up. There's still time to turn back," Saikyō said, his words cutting deep despite his casual tone.

"Kid! You're too arrogant!"

Despite trying to calm himself, Ikkaku's anger finally erupted after hearing Saikyō's taunts.

He couldn't stand it anymore!

"Angry, huh? So what?"

Saikyō spread his hands, making a "come at me" gesture, his expression indifferent.

The move only served to amplify Ikkaku's fury.

"Very good, Saikyō! I'm going to take you down today!" Ikkaku fumed, practically smoking with rage.

"And?"

Saikyō remained unfazed.

"You'll pay for what you've said!"

Ikkaku took a deep breath, his expression turning serious.

The atmosphere became tense and cold.

Suddenly, Ikkaku lowered his spear, rolling up his sleeves and stretching out his muscles and bones. He started bouncing on his toes, twisting his body rhythmically as he moved across the battlefield.

"Is he… dancing? Did he come here just to make us laugh?"

Saikyō's eyelid twitched.

The sight of Ikkaku's dance moves left him speechless. Within seconds, he began to question reality itself.

He had never seen something so absurd during a confrontation.

"Hey, it's been a while since I've seen Ikkaku's toe dance. He's gotten really good at it," Yumichika said, watching with genuine interest.

Their reactions couldn't have been more different!

"Madarame Ikkaku…"

"He's dancing before the fight. I didn't think he had this kind of bad taste over a hundred years ago," Saikyō muttered with a helpless expression.

He had to admit it.

He was caught off guard by the "toe dance."

"Madarame Ikkaku…"

"From this moment on, I'll stop calling you Baldy."

After being forced to watch the awkward dance, Saikyō sighed and muttered to himself.

"I'll call you Rukongai's Number One Dancer instead!"

---

Saikyō had to admit it.

He was surprised by Ikkaku's bizarre toe dance.

That move was truly something special!

"Enough! Have you danced enough already?"

After being rendered speechless, Saikyō finally reached his limit.

The bald-headed man's dance moves made him want to leap up and punch him right in the face!

"How about it? Wasn't I stylish? I think I'm a little cool!" Ikkaku boasted shamelessly after finishing his routine.

"Do you have any self-awareness? Who on earth wants to watch you dance!?"

Saikyō felt exasperated.

He had never seen someone so shameless.

"Remember! I'm Madarame Ikkaku, the man who's going to defeat you!"

Ikkaku's expression changed, his demeanor becoming serious as his aura grew stronger. He exuded a fierce, unparalleled fighting spirit.

He gripped his red-tasseled spear, his Reiatsu surging with intensity.

"For the sake of your status as a student of Shin'ō Academy, I will give you my utmost respect!"

Ikkaku held his spear firmly, pouring all his Reiatsu into it.

Boom!

The air around them shifted as Ikkaku's clothes flared up from the sudden surge of spiritual energy.

"Are you going to defeat me?"

The corner of Saikyō's mouth lifted in a slight smirk as he clenched his fists.

Although Ikkaku's aura was more intense at the moment, Saikyō's eyes remained sharp and focused, his expression calm and unwavering.

Then, he made the first move!

Whoosh—

With a burst of speed, Saikyō rushed towards Ikkaku like a phantom, his fists brimming with destructive power.

It was as if he had transformed into a one-punch juggernaut!

"What speed!"

Seeing Saikyō's incoming punch, Ikkaku's pupils shrank in shock.

Although he was a battle-hungry fighter, he wasn't a fool. The moment Saikyō threw his punch, Ikkaku immediately sensed the overwhelming power behind it, making his heart tremble.

"Apart from his earlier Kidō, his Hakuda alone has such destructive force."

"I seriously underestimated him!"

Despite the looming danger, Ikkaku didn't back down. His years of combat experience kept him calm as he steeled his resolve.

Shing—

Ikkaku raised his red-tasseled spear, positioning it defensively to intercept the blow.

But…

In the blink of an eye, Saikyō's fist collided with the spear.

Clang!

As the two forces clashed, a shockwave of power erupted, sending ripples through the air. The sheer force blew away debris and left the ground beneath them riddled with cracks, spreading outward rapidly.

The ground shattered, stones scattered, and the scene was utterly chaotic!

"Am I seeing things? Ikkaku's being pushed back!?" Yumichika, who had been watching with amusement, was suddenly shocked.

He widened his eyes in disbelief, his expression shifting to one of pure horror.

That single punch from Saikyō had completely shattered