Staring at the being before him—white-haired, black-eyed, a cruel grin twisting his face, and a short blade gleaming in his grip—Kurotsuki Renya knew at once: his final contingency had succeeded.
What stood opposite him was his Hollow self.
To achieve Hollowfication, one must first suppress soul suicide—the process of spiritual disintegration that consumes Shinigami who cross the boundary between Death and Hollowhood. After that, the soul must control the Hollow infection while enduring the tearing of those boundaries.
Defeat the inner Hollow, and one masters the transformation.
Fail, and the Hollow devours the soul.
The very fact that Renya was here now—face-to-face with his dark reflection—meant he had successfully stabilized his soul and suppressed the suicide reaction.
In all the worlds, there was only one man known to prevent soul suicide: Kisuke Urahara.
But Urahara lived in the Human World. So, how did Renya reach him?
That began four years ago, when Renya was attacked by the experimental Hollow Ramirez.
Lying broken on a Fourth Division cot, he wasn't sure whether Aizen Sōsuke's goal was to eliminate him—or simply test his potential.
Now it was clear: Aizen had been testing him.
Yet Renya had already begun preparing for this. He knew Aizen's methods were subtle; assassination was unlikely. The man preferred deception, manipulation, and framing his victims through the Central 46, as he had done with Urahara, Tessai, and later Rukia Kuchiki.
So Renya wrote two letters detailing both possibilities—death or framing—and entrusted them to Captain Unohana Retsu.
But there was a third possibility.
The most dangerous one: Hollowfication.
A hundred and one years ago, Aizen had forced eight high-ranking Shinigami into a Hollow state—four Captains, three Lieutenants, and a Kidō Corps Lieutenant. Without Yoruichi Shihōin's rescue and Urahara's antidote, they would have perished.
Hollowfication had always been Aizen's preferred way to dispose of obstacles while observing the limits of transcendence.
Thus, Renya's first task was to prepare for that exact scenario.
But to cure Hollowfication—or rather, to control it—he needed Urahara's help.
So he had to reach the Human World.
But how?
Through a Senkaimon, a World-Transmitting Gate.
Still bedridden, Renya studied the logistics. Only high-ranking officers or the Onmitsukidō could request temporary gates for reconnaissance. When he recovered, he discreetly approached Soi Fon, Captain of the Second Division.
She explained the difference between Central Portals (used officially by captains) and Small Portals (used by the Onmitsukidō for covert missions). But every request required a mission target within the Human World.
Feigning casual curiosity, Renya joked that he wanted to take Soi Fon to "see the Maldives."
She dismissed it—saying the Human World had nothing worth seeing—but Renya's true goal was now clear: find a legitimate stationed target in Karakura Town.
Most postings were managed by the 13th Division's Konsō patrols, and their records were sealed. Information was scarce—until fate intervened.
At a Shinigami Women's Association gathering two years later, Renya overheard Soi Fon mention that Tōru Qingyin (later replaced canonically by Rukia Kuchiki) was stationed in Karakura.
Renya's mind raced. In the original records, Rukia had been stationed in Karakura twice—first over forty years ago (the mission that led her to Urahara and the embedding of the Hōgyoku), and again just before the main storyline began, when she met Ichigo Kurosaki.
That meant the position had existed continuously for decades.
Tōru Qingyin—Rukia's predecessor—had been stationed there all along.
She was the perfect application target.
Thus, Renya filed for a surveillance mission to "monitor Qingyin's activities," constructing his own Senkaimon not in the Second Division barracks, but within the concealed caverns of Mount Reifu, in North District Three.
Why there?
Because it was near Shiba Clan territory, where Shiba Kaien—his mentor in Zanjutsu—often trained.
Using his connections with Kūkaku Shiba, he traded fireworks schematics and explosive devices for smuggled construction materials. Hidden beneath the mountain, Renya carved a hollow using the Iwa-teki (Stone Wave) technique he had learned from Ganju Shiba, creating a vast subterranean chamber.
There, he assembled his private Senkaimon.
But he knew once he underwent Hollowfication, his spiritual pressure spike would alert Aizen instantly. So he crafted a cover story: a massive explosion.
He rigged the cavern with layers of explosives—powerful enough to mimic his death. Having studied bomb mechanisms alongside Kūkaku, he built the detonation system himself, disguised under Onmitsukidō requisitions.
Once his soul began to hollowfy, Renya planned to trigger the explosion, leap through the Senkaimon, and vanish into the Human World.
The blast would serve two purposes:
The upper charges would simulate his self-destruction, while the lower charges would seal the cave, erasing all traces.
And when the moment came—it worked.
The explosion shook Mount Reifu. Spiritual pressure vanished.
Everyone believed he was dead.
But Renya had already crossed over.
When he emerged above Karakura Town, his Hollowfication surged out of control. He roared, spiritual energy tearing open the sky.
It was enough to alert both Urahara Kisuke and the Visoreds, the Hollowfied ex-Captains who lived in hiding there.
Before losing consciousness, Renya screamed for Urahara to "save me!"—and then the world went dark.
Urahara subdued him, injecting a stabilizing serum that suppressed his soul's suicide instinct. In Renya's backpack, he found the letter detailing Aizen's plots and his contingency plan. The message begged Urahara to erase all witnesses' memories to prevent suspicion from Seireitei.
Thus, Renya's disappearance was recorded as death.
Now, within his inner world, the battle raged.
Renya faced his Hollow self, blade drawn.
This was his final trial.
One mistake—and he would be lost forever.
Yet, as he stared into those mocking black eyes, a faint grin crept onto his lips.
He had come this far. He would not fall here.
⸻
Meanwhile, inside the underground training area beneath an abandoned warehouse, Hiyori Sarugaki stepped forward, scowling as she drew her Zanpakutō.
"I'm up first!" she barked.
Bound to the Hyapporankan sealing post, Renya's Hollow mask began to form again. His restraints shattered under raw spiritual pressure, and with a guttural snarl, he lunged at Hiyori.
Her kick sent him crashing into the dirt, and the two clashed in a blur of steel and sparks.
Watching from the sidelines, Hirako Shinji folded his arms, his expression unreadable.
"Let's hope he gets control fast," he murmured. "'Cause if he doesn't…"
He glanced toward the writhing figure as Hiyori shouted, mask glowing in the dim light.
"…then I'll put him down myself."