He snorted in response as he rose back to full height, propping the shinai against his shoulder. "Nice try... but the rules say nothing about me laughing!"

There was no denying a dramatic change in Ishimaru's aura. You didn't have to be psychically inclined to detect a serious mood shift especially when it's embedded in a tone of voice, and it made Mondo suspicious. That was some intense spirit burning up in there.

"That doesn't mean I won't invite you to try and hit me back. If you can, that is..."