Aizen moved first.
Kurotsuki Renya tightened his grip on his lightning-forged spear, his eyes locked on Aizen Sōsuke, a man whose calm mask concealed power beyond reason.
Even without incantations, Aizen's mastery of Kidō was overwhelming. His swordsmanship and Shunpo were refined to perfection.
And his Reiatsu—it wasn't simply that of a Shinigami. It transcended the boundaries of death itself.
Nearly eighty years ago, Aizen had already surpassed the limits of what it meant to be a Soul Reaper, pushing into realms no ordinary Shinigami could comprehend. Within all of Seireitei, only Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the thousand-year-old Commander-General, stood as a true equal—or perhaps, a warning of the old world's power.
Renya's injuries burned and bled freely. He knew he couldn't win, not like this. Yet he had no intention of dying quietly.
If he fell here, the letter he'd left in Captain Unohana's hands would expose Aizen's treachery.
Even if he perished, Aizen's secrets would not stay buried.
Renya's right hand crackled with arcs of electricity, the energy coalescing behind him into radiant wings of thunder.
Boom!
His form blurred—one flash, and he was behind Aizen, spear lancing forward.
Aizen's blade, Kyōka Suigetsu, swept down effortlessly, intercepting the strike with a single, elegant motion.
But Renya didn't relent. His left hand blazed with lightning, forming a trembling energy blade that slashed toward Aizen's face.
Aizen caught the blade bare-handed. With a faint squeeze, the lightning scattered like mist.
Renya narrowed his eyes and lunged again, his spear thrusting three times in rapid succession. Each stab released a Thunderbird, streaks of electric energy that circled outward.
Aizen moved as if dancing—his sword blurred, batting aside each thrust. Yet when he deflected the second strike, Renya's first wave of Thunderbirds curved behind him, diving toward his back.
Aizen merely smiled. "Bakudō #39: Enkōsen."
A circular shield of yellow energy flared to life behind him, absorbing the explosive impacts.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Five Thunderbirds struck, shattering the Kidō barrier—but Renya's third strike released another wave, even stronger.
"Persistent," Aizen murmured, his left hand flicking. "Bakudō #81: Dankū."
A translucent wall appeared, catching the next barrage head-on. Though the Thunderbirds detonated in rapid bursts, the shield endured, crackling but intact.
Renya's brow furrowed. His Kidō control… it's perfect.
Still, he pressed the assault. While Aizen's attention was on the explosions, Renya formed a small metallic disk in his left hand.
Micro Electromagnetic Cannon.
He couldn't use the large version—its charge time was too long. But this smaller form could accelerate its payload to Mach 3.
With a sharp click, he fired.
The projectile screamed through the air, a streak of blue light aimed at Aizen's midsection.
Aizen raised his left hand, blocking another Thunderbird while his sword came down in a blur.
Clang!
The bullet met the blade—and shattered harmlessly.
But Renya wasn't done. His right hand snapped forward, the spear's tip glowing an intense cerulean.
"Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!"
A roaring beam of pure lightning erupted, engulfing Aizen in a blinding torrent.
The electromagnetic shot and the Thunderbirds had only been distractions—time to complete the full incantation.
For the first time, Aizen's expression shifted. He raised his left hand and cast again, "Bakudō #81: Dankū!"
The transparent barrier materialized, meeting the colossal beam head-on.
Crack—BOOM!
The Dankū splintered under the force. Though it could defend against most Hadō below #89, this one was fully chanted—pure, unrestrained destruction. The wall shattered, the blast consuming everything.
When the light faded, Aizen was gone.
Renya's senses flared. He dodged… even faster than Soifon's Shunpo.
From the smoke, Aizen reappeared unscathed, his voice calm. "Impressive. Even Urahara himself would approve."
He stepped closer, dusting his sleeve. "But I believe we've wasted enough time. I no longer need Urahara's location. I came here to punish you."
Aizen vanished.
Renya's eyes widened—too late. Kyōka Suigetsu flashed before him.
He barely managed to twist aside, thunder wings bursting, avoiding the blade's direct arc—
—but a thin beam of light streaked toward him.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai."
The white lightning bolt grazed his cheek, searing skin. Before he could recover, Aizen's blade fell again.
Renya raised his spear to parry—
Crack!
The spear shattered. Aizen's strike tore through, slicing from Renya's left shoulder down to his right abdomen. Blood fountained from the wound.
His Zanpakutō's Shikai, Tenraijin, had broken.
Unlike a Bankai, a Shikai could reform after being sealed—but to have it shattered in its released state… that was power far beyond normal comprehension.
Only a few Zanpakutō could ever recover from such a blow. Zaraki's Nozarashi, Byakuya's Senbonzakura, Renji's Zabimaru—all would have crumbled before that strike.
This was the gulf between Aizen and the rest of the Gotei 13.
Renya's weapon fell to the ground. The lightning around him vanished.
He reached for it—but in a flicker, four slashes carved across his limbs, severing the tendons. A final thrust pierced his abdomen clean through.
He collapsed, unable to move.
Aizen descended gracefully, drawing from his robe a small, glasslike containment cube. Inside floated a glowing blue orb.
Renya's breath hitched. "The… Hōgyoku…"
Aizen smiled faintly. "Not quite complete. But enough to bridge the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow."
Renya's voice was hoarse. "You… intend to Hollowfy me."
"So you recognize it." Aizen's smile widened. "Killing a prodigy like you outright would draw unnecessary attention. But if you became a Hollow—if Captain Soifon herself had to kill you…"
Renya's heart froze. "She's coming here…?"
"Of course," Aizen said softly. "She's pursuing a 'defector'. A trail I arranged myself. When she arrives, she'll find you—and what you've become."
Renya gritted his teeth. "That Shinigami you used as bait… you planned all of this."
"Indeed," Aizen said. "Doesn't that show how much I value you?"
Renya's eyes burned. "You think you'll get away with this? Unohana will—"
Aizen tilted his head, amused. "Ah, you mean Captain Unohana? Most will simply assume Urahara's hand in all this. Even Soifon—the woman you love—will think the same."
Renya's voice dropped into a low growl. "You'll die for this."
Aizen chuckled softly. "Perhaps. But you won't be there to see it." He leaned closer. "When she finds you like this, will she kill you herself—or will you be the one to strike her down?"
The cube hissed open, and the Hōgyoku flared to life.
"Now then," Aizen whispered, "become my next masterpiece."
Renya's scream tore through the air as white Hollow matter spread across his skin, engulfing his face, his body, his soul—until nothing human remained.