The battle was like a contradiction, a war of power from polar opposites the Kokuryūkai remained in wait from their position.
" Master awaiting orders to engage" Akihiro prompted, ever eager to launch into the fray.
" Hold on" Hikari murmured, his voice nearly inaudible while she watched the battle with a aim of detecting weak points in Renji's fighting style.
His technique had that undeniable Kokuryūkai style but in a rather untamed manner…
Renji enclosed himself within an ever repairing solid cocoon of shadow to block Takeda strong bolt of lightning.
What had easily started as a taunt had tipped towards greater cruelty and the Ikazuchi-dans with their volatile characteristics, Takeda had gotten bloodlusted.
He channelled all his power into the blow while Renji focused on self defense, soon he began doing more than that he started to absorb the attack.
Physically the cocoon of shadow slowly began absorbing some of the lightening till it seemed like a dark storm of lightning, shadow and lightning fused.
" What!" Takeda exclaimed, his voice sudden dry while his attack slowly reduced to nothing more than a few sparks.
Then a yell echoed from within the cocoon, as if on cue in exploded in an outward motion of raw shadow and lightening, the effect threw Takeda off his feet electrified by the lightning in the burst of shadow and slammed him hard against a wall.
As Takeda sank to the ground twitching from the charges his body had been exposed to, the irony wasn't left on him.
" Your own lightening against you Takeda" Renji smirked echoing his own thoughts. " Sorry but I'm not following anyone anywhere"
Meanwhile a collective wave of fear rippled through the Kokuryūkai alpha team even Hikari was stunned, it was more like an increase in the respect of one's assailant's power.
" Alpha team remain on standby, I'm going in" She said and stepped into the fray. She covered only a few metres before Renji turned.
She saw a flash of recognition pass through his eyes. " Master Hikari?" Renji blurted.
" Since there's no need for an introduction I'll get right to it, honourable soldier of the Ikazuchi-dan I'm sorry for the damages caused but this is an anomaly that's using the powers of the shadow current and is therefore a target of the Kokuryūkai I'd also like to let you know that you're having an unauthorized operation on another guild's turf but we won't press charges now. She said sharply, her voice thick with authority.
" Humans have 206 bones in the body so I ask that you turn yourself in willingly or risk breaking a few"
" I'm not going into your guild again Master Hikari" Renji said. Again? Hikari thought while her mind raced with the implications of that word.
Just then a bolt of lightning streaked through the air followed by a clap of thunder. " Master there's a new breach in the veil, something's coming" Jade said over the radio line.
Hikari followed the direction of the next lightning and turned back to find that Renji had vanished.
Takeda had managed to get to his feet. " Master Hikari with all due respect, that hunter is now a target that I will capture." He assured then disappeared in a flash of lightning.
" Alpha, get to that position right now! I'll meet you there." Hikari ordered. Renji materialized in a blur of shadow at the source of the demon breach.
The incoming being was engulfed in an orb of green flame. " Abyss vision" Renji muttered in hopes of getting the weak points in the orb.
His vision immediately filtered out to thermal but there was no promising red spots signalling no weak spots.
" That's a first" he muttered and charged forward in a blur of shadow jumping into the air at the last second with both katanas held in a firm grip.
Time slowed. The figure within the circle turned while Renji was still suspended in the air then the orb cleared for him to land a brutal punch to Renji's stomach in rhythm to a shockwave that rolled out.
The force launched Renji like a missile and crashed him against a wall, cracks appearing instantly like a badly woven spider web.
Renji sank to the ground on his hands and knees, looking up at a face that shocked him to numbness.
Standing in front of him was a figure that shouldn't even be alive and breathing right now, a face that had haunted his nights and lingered in his thoughts, the face of a man he hadn't been able to save.
" Hanzo?" He blurted. How the look his friend shot at him lacked any of the usual warmth or familiarity. Instead it was snarling with icy fury.
" Shin'nen" Hanzo retorted in a voice more gravelled and multilayered like someone else was repeating every word.
Then Takeda and the Kokuryūkai appeared at the scene. " Hey!" Takeda called at him.
Lightning crackled the air, Takeda charged himself channelling all his energy into the attack with the yell. " Lightning requiem!!!"
He fired a powerful bolt of lightning that crashed harmlessly against an orb that materialized to protect Hanzo.
Meanwhile from his position Renji saw Hanzo arch his palm while a surge of emerald energy surged between them. It was an attack aimed at both an unsuspecting Takeda and Kokuryūkai team who were trying to break though the shield with their shadow imbued attacks.
His gaze returned to Takeda and Hikari's futile attempts at eliminating the perceived threat, then went back to Hanzo who fired the attack.
" No!!!" Renji screamed, his demon eye flashing crimson. He shot to his feet with a single shadow forged katana, each footstep aimed at a desperate attempt at blocking the attack which held the promise of death.
On sheer determination alone Renji managed to get ahead of the attack which was moving at the speed of a bullet, without thinking he launched into a desperate block but as most desperate blocks go it was mostly inefficient.
He took the brunt of the attack on his chest and was tossed bodily of the ground like he was no more than a ragdoll.
He crashed to the ground in an puff of dust and cracked pavement, blood spurted from his mouth along with a weak cough.
" No!!" Hikari blurted. " Hun… hunter" Takeda stuttered. Then turned back to the position Hanzo stood a second earlier only to see that he'd disappeared into thin air.
The Kokuryūkai alphas ran to where Renji's unconscious body laid Hikari walked up to his unconscious form and knelt beside him.
She held his hand to feel his pulse. " He's critical needs immediate treatment now! Akihiro call base for an ambulance"
" Yes master" Akihiro replied immediately. Takeda watched the Kokuryūkai flock Renji's downed form with an unwanted urge of emotions he was unwilling to feel at the moment.
" You have him this time Master Hikari, but I will keep my eyes on him" Takeda murmured and turned his back on them. " What ?" Jade said with a raised eyebrow.
" Ignore it Jade" Hikari said calmly bending over with her silver hair shifting slightly to pull down the half mask covering Renji's nose and mouth bringing the face into complete view.
" No way" Jade breathed when upon recollecting the face she spotted, Hikari visibly held her breath when she recognized the face of the boy who she had authorized to go into a mission that had them killed due to captain Hayashi's inappropriate decision.
A boy who'd died along with many others because she'd failed to be available. " Renji Kurogane"