BOOM!
On the training grounds, a sudden bolt of thunder split the sky, crashing down toward the two figures locked in combat.
Sui-Feng, Captain of the Second Division, instantly sensed the incoming danger. With a flash of Shunpo, her body vanished, narrowly avoiding the deadly strike.
But the moment her form reappeared, a searing beam of blue energy shot toward her face.
"Hadō #63: Raikōhō!"
The thunderous roar of Kidō and crackling electricity filled the air, the currents tearing at the atmosphere as the blast streaked for her.
Sui-Feng's toes barely grazed the ground before her figure blurred again—vanishing into another direction with impeccable speed. Her Shunpo was flawless; even high-level Kidō struggled to catch her.
But Renya had prepared for this.
From his outstretched hand, a gleaming projectile burst forth with an ear-splitting shriek—an electromagnetic railgun, accelerating at eight times the speed of sound.
Kurotsuki Renya had been refining his inventions. After crafting small projectiles usable like short spikes, he had developed this experimental weapon—compressed spiritual steel accelerated by electromagnetism.
Sui-Feng's instincts screamed. She dodged again, shifting her body just a centimeter aside. That centimeter saved her life—yet not her arm.
SHRIP!
The projectile grazed past, tearing flesh and muscle from her arm with terrifying precision. Blood sprayed, and pain lanced through her nerves.
Her body froze for the briefest instant. And in that instant—another thunderbolt descended.
BOOM!
The lightning tore into her back as she twisted away, sending her reeling. Her legs faltered; the Captain's form wavered—and then she plummeted from the air.
Renya's mechanical wings flared. In a flash, he darted below her, catching her in his arms. The sight of her charred arm, bone exposed beneath seared flesh, made his breath catch.
"Captain Sui-Feng… I—I'm sorry!" Renya said, horrified.
Gritting her teeth, sweat on her brow, she forced out, "It's fine… I told you… to go all out."
This spar had not been for Renya's sake alone. Sui-Feng wanted to push him—force him to unleash everything he had. Earlier bouts had ended with her consistently suppressing him, her Shunpo always faster, her strikes always sharper. She had asked him to adapt, to test his limits.
And he had.
Renya had devised a strategy after repeated failures:
1. Use thunder strikes from above to force her back.
2. Fire off a charged Kidō blast to cut her avenues of approach.
3. Finally, release the railgun shot—slower to prepare, but devastating once unleashed.
When she dodged, he aimed his follow-up lightning where her retreat would naturally carry her.
Against Sui-Feng at her peak, even this plan would have failed—her speed with Shunpo exceeded Renya's reactions. But her injured arm slowed her, and the lightning struck home.
She was no Kenpachi—her body couldn't shrug off such damage. Even for a Captain, the injury pushed her close to her limit.
Though technically Renya had forced her down, it was only because she allowed herself to be tested in the first place.
Renya's wings beat, carrying her swiftly toward the Fourth Division.
"Captain… I'll take you to the medics!"
He landed outside the barracks, dismissing his lightning armor as he rushed inside. The sight of the bloodied Second Division Captain made the Fourth Division members freeze.
"This—this is beyond us. Call for Captain Unohana!" one of them stammered.
"Follow me," Retsu Unohana's calm voice carried from the corridor.
Renya carried Sui-Feng into a ward, laying her gently on the bed.
"Don't worry," Unohana said softly. "I'll treat her."
Her hands glowed faint green as she began with Kaido, but then she paused, pressing both palms over the wound. A deeper, thicker light spilled forth. Unlike ordinary Kaido, this was not mere surface healing—she was preparing something else.
Sui-Feng's muscles began regenerating rapidly under the glow, her flesh knitting back together. Though Shinigami had blood, bones, and organs, their true nature as spiritual bodies allowed for restoration through Kaido. Yet damage this severe—nearly severing the arm—required more than conventional healing.
"Don't resist," Unohana whispered.
She drew her Zanpakutō, murmuring its release:
"Minazuki."
In an instant, her blade transformed into a massive, manta-ray-like creature with a single eye and three legs. The creature opened its maw and swallowed Sui-Feng whole.
"She has too many injuries," Unohana said with her usual serene smile. "This will be faster."
Renya bowed deeply. "Thank you, Captain Unohana."
"There's no need," she replied gently. "But tell me—how did Captain Sui-Feng receive such wounds? Lightning burns, multiple lacerations…?"
Renya scratched his cheek nervously. "She… sparred with me. She asked me to go all out, and I may have gone too far."
Unohana's eyes softened, though her smile carried weight. "To injure the Captain of the Second Division so gravely… You have grown strong indeed, Kurotsuki Renya. Perhaps strong enough to stand among Captains yourself."
Renya's hands waved frantically. "No! I didn't defeat her. She was holding back—letting me strike."
"Yet you don't deny," she countered smoothly, "that you've reached captain-level potential. Two years ago, you were far weaker. Your growth is… impressive."
Renya lowered his gaze. "I still need more training…"
It had been two years since his duel with Zaraki Kenpachi. Though his body remained that of an eleven-year-old, his soul was now twenty-two. Sometimes he wondered if he should train in the Dangai—where time flowed two-thousand times faster. With that, perhaps he could finally catch up to the legends.
Before his thoughts could wander further, Minazuki spat Sui-Feng back out. Her body landed softly, coated in the creature's healing fluids. The burns and wounds were gone, her body restored.
"Thank you, Captain Unohana," Sui-Feng said, bowing politely.
"It was nothing," Unohana replied, resealing Minazuki.
Renya stepped closer, his voice sheepish. "I'm… sorry, Captain."
Sui-Feng waved a hand. "Don't apologize. I asked for it."
Noticing her body slick with Minazuki's fluids, Sui-Feng grimaced slightly. "…I'll return later to thank you properly, Captain Unohana."
"Very well," the healer nodded with a smile.
Together, Renya and Sui-Feng left the Fourth Division, leaping across Seireitei's rooftops toward the Second Division barracks.
Renya stole a glance at her—her uniform clinging to her form, glistening under the fading light. She looked both deadly and… unexpectedly alluring. His imagination threatened to wander, but Sui-Feng's sharp glare cut him short.
"What are you staring at?" she snapped.
Renya chuckled, lowering his gaze.
"Tch. Idiot," she muttered, though without real venom.
Just then, a shadow appeared before them—a kneeling figure from the Onmitsukidō.
"Lord Renya," the operative reported, "the Shiba clan has left Seireitei with a number of followers."
Renya's eyes narrowed. "So… it's begun."
Sui-Feng's brows furrowed at the name. "The Shiba clan? You've been investigating them, haven't you?"
Renya froze. Of course she knew—she was Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō. Nothing within Seireitei escaped her notice.
But there was no time to explain.
"I'll tell you everything later, Captain," Renya said quickly. "For now… I have to go."
With that, he departed with the operatives, vanishing into the night.
⸻
📌 Author's Note:
Some readers may feel these recent chapters are more "record-like." The truth is, this is a transitional period. After Metastacia, the next major canon event won't occur until Shiba Isshin's mission to the Human World nearly two decades later. To bridge this gap, I'm weaving Renya's growth, training, and influence alongside canon events while slowly leading toward the next turning point. Stay tuned.