Kurotsuki Renya followed the Onmitsukidō inspectors out of Seireitei, heading toward South Rukongai. After a short distance, he stopped.
"I'll go on alone from here. You return."
"Yes."
The inspectors turned and left.
Renya had his reasons. First, they only knew Shiba's squad had left Seireitei and the general direction, not their precise destination—so they would be of no use. Second, Renya suspected Aizen himself might be watching. If he appeared too prepared, it could draw suspicion.
I have to make this look like my first time stumbling onto their battle—nothing more.
Focusing his senses, Renya felt out for Shiba Kaien's squad's reiatsu. At first, there was nothing distinct, but after pushing further into Rukongai, faint traces began to appear.
Not high in intensity, but noticeable.
"The distance is still far…"
Renya immediately employed Shunpo, his speed surging as he cut the gap instantly.
The traces grew clearer, and soon, as he entered the 4th District, the pressure sharpened. Following it, he dashed into a cave.
At its entrance crouched a medium-class Hollow with a grotesque frame—six legs rooted into the stone, its back and neck writhing with tendril-like appendages.
Metastacia.
Inside, Shiba Miyako fought desperately. Her shihakushō was torn and bloodied, her stance unsteady, panic written across her face. Around her lay the corpses of her fallen comrades.
Renya's sudden arrival forced the clash to halt. Metastacia froze, its grotesque head swiveling toward him, giving Miyako a chance to retreat back several meters.
"Renya! You shouldn't be here!" Miyako cried out, her voice sharp with urgency. "This Hollow can nullify Zanpakutō! Run!"
Miyako knew Renya well—he was a close ally to her husband, Shiba Kaien—and her first instinct was to protect him.
"Nullify Zanpakutō?" Renya echoed, narrowing his eyes.
"That's right," Metastacia rumbled, almost gloating. "Your blade is worthless against me. Release it, and you'll see."
Renya smirked faintly. So you want me to hesitate. Then that means your ability isn't absolute.
He already knew the truth. Metastacia possessed two powers:
1. Fusion and Possession — the ability to enter and control a Shinigami's body.
2. Zanpakutō Nullification — but only on the first contact of the day, and only if touched directly by its tendrils.
In canon, Shiba Kaien's Zanpakutō had been nullified on their second day of battle, leading to tragedy. But Renya had no intention of letting history repeat.
"Even without relying on my Zanpakutō's release," Renya said firmly, "I can still cut you down."
Thunder sparked across his limbs, arcs of blue lightning dancing around his frame.
Shunkō — Raijin.
Metastacia flinched. "What kind of technique is that?"
He had no answer. Charging recklessly, the Hollow lunged.
But Renya's figure vanished.
"Where—?!"
Metastacia froze, searching. A split-second later—
Shhk!
Renya's blade pierced into its thick neck. Unlike most Shinigami who relied entirely on Zanpakutō abilities, Renya's body was reinforced with dense reiryoku and lightning-based kidō. His strikes carried force enough to cleave Hollow hide that normally resisted sealed blades.
The stab wasn't fatal—the Hollow's hair whipped toward him instantly. Renya yanked his sword free and flash-stepped sideways. His counter-slash severed one of its limbs clean off, the sizzling cut cauterizing on impact.
"Damn you!" Metastacia bellowed, flinging tendrils in a storm.
Renya blurred out of reach again.
"Too fast…"
Snarling, the Hollow shifted tactics. Instead of chasing Renya, it lunged straight at Miyako.
If I can't beat him, I'll use her body instead. He won't strike down someone he knows.
Shrinking its massive form, it rushed her.
But before it could make contact, a hand seized its leg mid-flight.
"Going somewhere?"
Renya's grip tightened like an iron vice, lightning flaring violently.
The Hollow screamed, whipping tendrils back in a frenzy that engulfed Renya completely.
"Renya!" Miyako cried, surging forward with her sword raised.
But before she could reach him—
Zzt! Zzt! ZZT!
Flashes of blue tore through Metastacia's body, each arc splitting its tendrils apart in bursts of light. Its shriek rattled the cave walls.
Renya appeared on its back, blade wrapped in concentrated lightning.
"Raikiri."
Not Naruto's Chidori, but his own adaptation—compressing kidō-level lightning around his Zanpakutō's edge until it shone like a blade of pure energy.
With one decisive slash, he cleaved Metastacia clean in half.
"GGRAAHHH!"
The Hollow screamed before collapsing, its massive body dissolving into ash.
Renya exhaled, sheathing his blade. Turning, he hurried to Miyako's side.
"Sister Miyako, are you alright?"
She blinked at him, trembling but alive. "…Renya? Why are you even here?"
Scratching the back of his head, he replied, "I grew up in South Rukongai. I thought I'd visit my home district, but on the way, I sensed the spiritual pressure… and found this."
Miyako let out a weak laugh of relief, though her gaze hardened as she glanced around at the fallen bodies of her unit.
"…Without you, I wouldn't have survived. Thank you, Renya."
He smiled gently. "I just did what anyone would. But…" His eyes narrowed. "…this Hollow's ability to nullify Zanpakutō is dangerous. It needs to be reported immediately."
She nodded. "Yes… let's return at once."
Neither of them noticed the shadows above the cave.
Two figures in black cloaks watched silently—hidden from all detection. One crouched casually, his fox-like grin never wavering.
"Well, wasn't that entertaining," Ichimaru Gin drawled.
Beside him, Aizen Sōsuke adjusted his glasses, his calm gaze analyzing every detail. The cloaks they wore—replicas of Urahara's anti-detection fabric—completely erased their reiatsu signatures.
"That child… no, that man," Aizen murmured. "To display that level of strength without a Shikai release… his potential may rival even Hitsugaya."
Gin tilted his head. "Shall I eliminate him, Aizen-taichō? He already ruined part of your experiment." His tongue darted across his lips, eyes narrowing in anticipation.
Aizen shook his head, his smile faint but chilling.
"No. Let him live. Metastacia has already served its purpose. Its ability to nullify Zanpakutō was confirmed. But Renya exposed a flaw—its weakness in close combat and poor reaction time."
He adjusted his glasses again, light glinting across the lenses.
"Thanks to Kurotsuki Renya… I have new inspiration for our next step."
______________
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