If anyone ever tells you that dodging a spiky cannonball is easy – and there’s always that one guy who does – slap him. Slap him in the face. Because dodging Omaeda’s Zanpakuto was the most challenging thing I had done up to that point. Dodging it when the thing swung back in my direction was worse.

My legs protested, but I burst into a run to take me away from the swinging ball of death. Even as I ran, I knew Omaeda was faster. Soon, very soon, he’d get me.

The ball smashed into the ground just behind me, knocking me forwards first onto my knees and then onto my front. I climbed back up, but felt a large hand push me down.