Hadō #73: Twin Lotus Blue Fire, Crash Down!
"O king's realm! Mask of flesh and bone, all creation, fluttering wings crowned with man's name! On the wall of blue flame, inscribe the twin lotus, let the abyss of fire await in the distant heavens!"
With a low, steady chant, Kurotsuki Renya's palm ignited in azure fire. The Kidō circle pulsed, and with a sharp motion he released the spell.
BOOM!
The training field erupted as twin columns of blue flame spiraled outward, consuming the space before him. The azure conflagration danced across the open ground, its heat distorting the very air.
Hadō #73: Sōren Sōkatsui.
Unlike the standard Sōkatsui (#33), this advanced twin-lotus form was vastly more destructive. One of the highest-level fire-based Hadō, it demanded precise control and deep spiritual power.
Renya had come to understand his own weaknesses since his clash with Ramirez, an Arrancar whose hierro nullified lesser Kidō. If he relied only on his current arsenal, he would never be able to contend with Aizen or the Espada.
So he resolved to expand his mastery of Kidō—especially high-level Hadō.
Beyond Sōren Sōkatsui, Renya had also achieved reliable use of Hadō #78: Zangerin and was steadily working toward the formidable Hadō #90: Kurohitsugi (Black Coffin).
The Black Coffin was considered the pinnacle of Hadō before the forbidden arts. Its power to compress, pierce, and crush targets into oblivion was devastating—but only if the incantation was completed. For most shinigami, even chanting could barely stabilize the spell. For Renya, simply invoking it wasn't enough. He needed the ability to cast it instantly if it was ever to become a reliable weapon.
But Kidō was only one part of his training.
Renya's mind had also turned toward Shunkō—the fusion of Hakuda and Kidō that Yoruichi Shihōin had once pioneered and Soi Fon had inherited. The advanced variations of Shunkō remained clan secrets, closely guarded and forbidden to be shared. Still, Renya contemplated developing his own derivative form. He narrowed his options between two concepts:
• Kaze Shunkō (Wind Shunkō), emphasizing persistence and fluidity.
• Hi Shunkō (Fire Shunkō), emphasizing raw destructive force.
After much thought, Renya chose the wind-based path. Though less extreme than lightning or fire, Wind Shunkō offered balance, endurance, and flexibility. With his existing proficiency in Raikōhō (Hadō #63: Thunder Roar Cannon) and lightning-based techniques, he didn't need to pursue raw speed or destruction. What he required was adaptability, ensuring he could overcome foes who sealed or negated his Zanpakutō's ability.
Still, he knew mastery of Shunkō would take years. It was not something to rush.
For now, he focused on high-level Kidō and an unusual method of strengthening his body.
Unlike standard shinigami who conditioned themselves with sparring or endurance, Renya experimented with the very essence of spiritual particles. He used his lightning-based reiatsu to generate magnetic fields, stimulating the charged surfaces of reishi that composed his skin and muscles. This increased their density, layer by layer.
His reasoning was simple: reishi carried charges like cells in the human world. By amplifying these charges, he could force greater cohesion, creating a body as durable as Arrancar hierro. This granted him strength and resilience far beyond the ordinary.
Such reinforcement would allow him to withstand even the strain of supersonic shunpō, which could otherwise tear a body apart under its own acceleration. The denser his body became, the faster he could push Raijūsenkei and other high-speed techniques without fear of collapse.
Renya was confident—someday, his body could rival even the Arrancar's armor-like skin.
Still, he remained cautious. He avoided venturing alone beyond Seireitei and no longer trained openly at Mt. Reiraku, unwilling to give Aizen further openings to strike.
The only times he ventured out were to the Shiba Clan's workshop, where Kuukaku Shiba provided him with batches of explosive devices for missions. Even then, he ensured he was accompanied by other operatives.
Two years passed in this careful cycle. Renya remained unchallenged, unscathed by Aizen's schemes. Sometimes he wondered if that fateful ambush had been nothing more than coincidence—punishment for meddling where he shouldn't, or perhaps a mere test of his potential. Whatever the reason, Aizen had not moved against him since.
By then, Renya had reached thirty years of age. His bond with Soi Fon had also deepened. Their training together grew intense, but outside combat, something more personal began to take root.
On this day, after sparring, Soi Fon lay stretched across a wooden chair, eyes closed, her body glistening faintly with sweat. Renya stood behind her, pressing his hands against her shoulders.
Her lips parted in the faintest sigh as his fingers worked into the knots of tension. For Soi Fon—rigid, disciplined, and ever serious—this quiet surrender was rare.
In the past two years, she had permitted small intimacies: holding his hand, sharing meals, and now, after hard training, allowing his massages. For Renya, it was both duty and indulgence. His hands moved from her shoulders to her neck, tracing firm yet gentle circles along the pale line of her throat, then pressing lower across her back and waist.
Her waist, strained from countless Shunkō bursts and Shunpō usage, demanded care. Renya pressed there more firmly, drawing a faint sound of relief from her lips.
When his touch strayed lower, tracing the curves of her thigh where her shihakushō parted, her eyes snapped open.
"Renya," she said sharply, though not without the faintest tinge of warmth.
He quickly shifted his hands to her calves, kneading the muscles there instead. Soi Fon's legs were toned perfection, the result of years of Hakuda mastery. Strong, sleek, yet feminine.
"I won't let you massage me again if you do that," she scolded softly.
Renya bowed his head. "Understood, Captain. Forgive me."
When the massage ended, Soi Fon rose gracefully, stretching her arms behind her back. She turned her gaze toward him, her usual stern expression softened just slightly.
"That's enough for today," she said. "Tomorrow is Saturday. No training. But… come see me in the afternoon. I'll treat you to dinner."
Renya blinked, surprised. "Dinner? With you…?"
Soi Fon coughed lightly, averting her gaze. "Yes. Don't make me repeat myself. Be there."
Renya's heart skipped as he nodded. "I'll remember."
As he left the training grounds, his steps were light, excitement bubbling within him.
Behind him, Soi Fon watched his back fade from sight, the faintest smile tugging at her lips.
"…It's not a date," she murmured.
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