Kurotsuki Renya and Soi Fon's special training did not end with the revelation of his Shikai. Instead, it intensified, extending another day. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, half the day was reserved for their sessions.
The training had two purposes: one was to sharpen Renya's combat abilities, and the other was because Soi Fon herself needed a qualified sparring partner.
Her Shunpo was already the fastest in the Seireitei. In the future, when she clashed with Yoruichi, Soi Fon's strikes would even land several times, briefly forcing Yoruichi into a difficult position. Yet once Yoruichi unleashed Shunkō, she swiftly overturned the fight.
At present, however, no one in Soul Society could rival Soi Fon's speed. And now that she had mastered Raijin Senkei—a thunder-enhanced evolution of Shunkō—her speed and explosive power had grown even sharper, leaving her without a proper opponent.
Except for Renya.
On this day, she summoned him to the training grounds. "Renya, I want you to train with me today."
"Of course," Renya replied with a smile. The fact that the Commander of the Onmitsukidō chose him first as her sparring partner filled him with a rare excitement.
"What are you grinning at?" Soi Fon scowled, her voice sharp with reprimand.
Renya quickly straightened his posture and suppressed his grin. Soi Fon shrugged off her outer haori, revealing the black Onmitsukidō uniform beneath. Its sleeveless design exposed the back of her shoulders and the outer line of her thighs, her pale skin catching in the dim light.
Renya averted his gaze, focusing instead on drawing his Zanpakutō.
"Release it," Soi Fon ordered.
Renya nodded. "Descend… Tenraiden."
His voice carried low, and the sky darkened instantly. Clouds swirled overhead, and lightning split the heavens.
Boom.
A thunderbolt fell, condensing into the form of a crackling thunder-spear that Renya now held firmly in hand.
Even though she had witnessed it several times before, Soi Fon's eyes narrowed slightly. "No matter how many times I see your Shikai, its destructive power never ceases to impress me."
Renya smirked faintly. "Too eye-catching for my taste."
He waved his hand, dispersing the storm. The thunderclouds dissolved, and the sky cleared once more. Yet the spear of condensed lightning—Tenraiden's Raijin Pillar—remained in his grip, thrumming with restrained energy.
"You can dispel the clouds at will?" Soi Fon asked, her sharp gaze lighting with interest.
Renya nodded. "Yes. I can collapse the electric field I set up. Once I cease maintaining the charge, the clouds dissipate."
The phenomenon was explained by his Zanpakutō's ability. His weapon did not generate lightning directly from his own reiatsu; instead, it shaped the atmosphere, pulling apart charged particles and inducing electrical discharge. The thunder that struck was natural lightning, amplified and guided by his spiritual pressure.
Even someone as durable as Zaraki Kenpachi would be left scarred after a direct hit. Yet by dispersing the charges, Renya could end the storm, conserving his strength.
Of course, without storm clouds above, one of his most destructive means of attack was lost.
"Enough talk. Let's begin," Soi Fon said flatly.
In an instant, thunderous energy burst from her frame, gathering at her shoulders and back. It erupted violently, surging into her limbs. This was her Raijin Senkei—the perfected form of Shunkō.
Renya answered in kind, channeling lightning through his back, forming blazing wings of pure electricity.
"Be careful," Soi Fon warned, before vanishing from sight.
Renya disappeared as well.
Boom!
Their clash resounded like a thunder strike, the air trembling with the force. For an instant, their figures became visible—Soi Fon's blade locked against Renya's thunder-spear—before both blurred away again, clashing in movements too fast for the eye.
The speed of Shunkō and Raijin flight pushed Shunpo beyond its limit, leaving only brief moments of frozen impact as proof of their battle.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Steel and lightning struck in rapid succession, more than a dozen blows exchanged in less than a breath. Then, with one decisive strike, Soi Fon's blade pressed Renya's spear down.
Her body blurred as she drove a palm into his abdomen.
Boom!
Renya was sent flying into the rock wall. His thunder wings gouged deep scars into the stone as his body slid to the ground.
Panting, he analyzed the exchange. The gap was still too large.
First, her mastery of Hakuda was leagues above his own. Her precision in close combat far outstripped his skill.
Second, her battle experience was superior. Even Shiba Kaien would not recklessly fall into her traps, whereas Renya still lacked the instincts of a veteran.
Third, her speed and strength exceeded his. Though Renya could push his lightning wings to greater velocity, his body could not withstand the strain. Soi Fon, despite her slim frame, possessed monstrous conditioning. Her regimen was merciless, pushing her body to both speed and strength. She could balance inverted push-ups atop a rock with a single hand, repeating them by the hundreds.
Renya's physique could not yet endure that level of enhancement, forcing him to hold back the true potential of his Zanpakutō.
"Again," Soi Fon said coldly.
Renya charged forward, his spear thrusting for her face.
But Soi Fon's left leg snapped up sharply, colliding just beneath the weapon's tip. At the same moment, her torso leaned backward, her right leg arcing in a precise inverted kick toward his neck.
Boom!
Renya caught her strike with one arm, but her technique hurled him into the rock once more.
He gritted his teeth. She surpassed him not only in speed, strength, and combat skill—but also in body control. Her technique had executed three actions at once: striking his weapon with pinpoint precision, bending her body into a counterattack, and shaping reishi beneath her inverted frame as a foothold to redirect momentum.
It was a level of mastery he could not yet reach.
Even with his Shikai active, he had no time to convert his lightning into large-scale techniques during such rapid exchanges. Against Soi Fon's overwhelming advantage, he could not win.
Yet this was natural. At her current state, with Raijin Senkei, Soi Fon stood among the strongest of the Gotei 13. Only the veteran Captains could truly overwhelm her.
Her mobility ensured that if she could not defeat her opponent, she could withdraw instantly. If she chose to kill, her strikes would be inescapable.
As for Renya—though his Shikai allowed him to temporarily clash with some Captains—once his reiatsu was exhausted, victory would be impossible.
He clenched his spear tighter. I still need to grow. I must raise myself to the level of a constant Captain… and beyond.
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