After the dinner, Kurotsuki Renya's life gradually settled into a rhythm. With the promise he'd made to Suì-Fēng, he pushed himself harder than ever—determined to awaken his Bankai as soon as possible.
But even now, Renya hadn't yet mastered the full potential of his Shikai. His Reiatsu was still below the standard of a Captain-class Soul Reaper. He had yet to breach the seventh stratum of spiritual pressure—the realm where true Captains stood.
So, over the months that followed, Renya poured everything into refining his Reiatsu and body.
Time passed like a silent current in the Seireitei. Two full years slipped by.
On this day, Renya was deep in the 2nd Division's private training grounds, surrounded by stone pillars and reinforced barriers. His body glowed faintly with crackling blue current as he focused his breathing, compressing his energy until sparks danced across the ground.
Boom.
In an instant, the air shuddered. Reiatsu erupted from his body in a violent wave, turning the nearby boulders into dust. The blue aura flickered around him like a living storm.
Renya slowly opened his eyes and looked at his hands, his gaze steady and calm. "Finally… I've reached the seventh-class Reiatsu."
At this level, he could maintain ten consecutive volleys of Raijin Zenshō – Tenryū Roar Cannon—a feat that marked the boundary between lieutenant and captain-level combatants. His control over thunder-based reiryoku had become more fluid, sharper, and far more explosive in battle.
He thought back, comparing his progress:
Two years to reach the fifth-class… five more to reach the sixth… and now, fifteen years to finally touch the seventh.
That climb reflected not just power, but refinement—the stability and endurance of a true Captain's spirit.
Still, real strength had to be tested in combat. And in the Seireitei, there was only one man fit for that kind of trial.
Zaraki Kenpachi.
The Eleventh Division Captain's Reiatsu was monstrous—beyond most Captains'. His raw power, speed, and insane tolerance for damage made him the perfect benchmark for testing growth. His weakness, however, was his reckless simplicity. He fought only head-on, rarely dodged, and had no talent for strategy. Yet his instincts were godlike.
Renya walked through the barracks and found Zaraki already grinning, his sword over his shoulder.
"So, you're finally here to challenge me, brat?" Kenpachi's voice rumbled with excitement.
Renya bowed slightly. "I ask for your guidance, Captain Zaraki."
Without another word, Renya drew his Zanpakutō, lightning flickering briefly along its edge.
Kenpachi's grin widened. "You sure about that? Don't hold back, or you'll die before you even blink!"
Their blades clashed in a single, thunderous strike. The shockwave blasted dust and splinters through the air. Renya was sent flying, but twisted mid-air and landed lightly on his feet.
Kenpachi's single visible eye gleamed. "Heh… not bad. You didn't go flying like before. Looks like you've gotten stronger."
Renya flexed his shoulders, feeling the hum of energy racing through his limbs. It still wasn't enough. His physical strength had increased tremendously from his continuous training with magnetic fields—his body now conducted and reinforced itself through controlled currents—but compared to Kenpachi's monstrous might, he still lagged behind.
Even so, two years ago, that single strike would have split him in half.
Blue lightning arced from Renya's right arm and legs. His eyes sharpened. Then—
Whoosh!
He vanished.
Kenpachi's instincts screamed, and he swung backward just in time. Their blades collided again, sparks flaring.
The air itself seemed to crack apart as they traded strikes faster than most Shinigami could track.
"So fast!" Kenpachi barked out a laugh, his excitement rising. Even with his eyepatch on, he couldn't fully track Renya's movements.
"Since I can't dodge, then I won't!" Kenpachi roared, slashing down hard.
Renya's blade streaked twice across his chest—two crimson lines blooming on Kenpachi's torso. But before Renya could retreat, Kenpachi's counterstrike connected.
Blood spattered from both of them.
Renya's attack traded precision for speed; the twin cuts only drew shallow wounds. Meanwhile, Kenpachi's slash, though partially evaded and absorbed through muscle resistance, tore deep across Renya's side.
Renya grimaced but didn't stop. His fighting spirit flared. He lunged forward again.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their swords clashed again and again, filling the air with metallic thunder. Blades blurred, bodies flickered—afterimages crossed the training ground like lightning and shadow intertwining.
Kenpachi's grin widened with each strike. "Good! Don't you dare slow down now!"
Renya's speed surged once more. His Shunpō and enhanced muscle conductivity allowed him to push far past his limits. Years ago, his Raijin Step technique had given him a brief advantage—but now he could match the Eleventh Division Captain's raw pace while his eyepatch suppressed him.
After dozens of exchanges, Kenpachi threw back his head and laughed. "Heh! You're worth my time after all!"
With that, he reached up and tore the eyepatch free.
The moment he did, a crushing wave of Reiatsu erupted outward. The entire 11th Division compound groaned under the pressure; the ground cracked, and even seasoned seated officers dropped to their knees outside.
Renya's eyes narrowed. That power… monstrous, as always.
Then, in a flash of lightning, he disappeared.
Kenpachi blinked, scanning the area. "Oi… where'd you run off to?!"
His voice boomed through the empty yard. "Running already?! Get back here before I cut the whole barracks down!"
When there was no reply, he growled, slashing the wall beside him. The structure shattered like glass beneath his blade.
Suddenly, a small voice spoke behind him.
"Ken-chan, calm down!"
Yachiru Kusajishi sat casually on his shoulder, legs swinging.
Kenpachi grunted, sliding his eyepatch back on. "Tch. That kid only knows how to run."
Yachiru giggled. "You're being unfair again. You took off the eyepatch. Renya can't match you like that unless he releases his Zanpakutō. He didn't want to fight with Shikai—that's why he stopped. It was his choice."
Kenpachi's expression softened slightly, though the grin remained. "Hmph. Guess that's fair." He turned and walked back toward the barracks, muttering, "Next time, I'll make him use it."
⸻
Renya dashed through the rooftops, his wounds burning but his heart steady. He wasn't afraid—just realistic.
Once Kenpachi removed his limiter, his strength spiked far beyond most Captains'. Even with Raijin Step and his current physical power, Renya couldn't win without drawing on Shikai.
If I used Raijin Wings or Thunder Fang, I could stand toe-to-toe with Kenpachi unsealed. If I added Thunder Burst, I might even win—provided he doesn't dodge.
But if Kenpachi fought seriously, both hands on his Zanpakutō, his battle instinct exploding into full force…
Renya exhaled, the thought heavy. That's not a fight either of us would walk away from.
And that was still Kenpachi's sealed power. His true strength—unleashed through Shikai or Bankai—was far beyond imagination.
"At my current level," Renya murmured, "I've only just reached the limit of Kenpachi's sealed state."
He clenched his fists, feeling the faint pulse of thunder under his skin. "I have to keep tempering my body… until my base form alone can rival his two-handed sword style."
Only then, when he unlocked his Bankai, could he step into the realm of the "special class"—the rare few whose combat power surpassed conventional Captain limits.
Only then could he stand against Aizen Sōsuke.
And even that might not be enough.
Because Hōgyoku-evolved Aizen—the one reborn through Hōgyoku fusion—was a being beyond reason, a transcendent existence that two super captain-class Shinigami could barely contain, even with seals in place.
Renya clenched his teeth. There's no way to defeat that kind of monster outright. The best I can do is stop him from obtaining the Hōgyoku in the first place.
His eyes lifted toward the moon above Seireitei, its light fractured by passing clouds.
"I'll stop him… even if it costs everything."
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