The first wave to advance consisted of the six subordinate officers of the Two Blades, alongside six Shinigami who each found their own respective opponents.
Among them, Renji Abarai stepped forward, his gaze locking onto his assigned enemy.
Standing opposite him was Giant Wrist Whale, a towering Hollow nearly four meters tall. Its massive frame was covered in rough, hardened flesh, green tribal markings spread across its face, and a broken Hollow mask clung to its lower jaw. Its arms were unnaturally long each one alone nearly taller than Renji himself.
The creature lowered its head slightly and let out a thunderous laugh.
"So you're the one facing me?"
Renji rested his Zanpakutō against his shoulder and replied calmly,
"Looks like it."
"What a disappointment," the Hollow scoffed. "But once you're dead, I'll move on to the others."
The Giant Wrist Whale shook its head, suddenly raising its right arm high into the air before slamming it downward with terrifying force.
Its raw physical strength was monstrous. Even without releasing its true power, it had once overwhelmed Ikkaku Madarame using brute force alone. Although Ikkaku had not used Bankai at the time, judging from his battle against the Arrancar Edorad in the original events, it was clear that pure strength alone would not be enough to bring this monster down.
That was precisely why Kurotsuki Renya had assigned Renji to face this opponent.
Boom!
The massive arm stopped mid-descent.
Renji had blocked the blow with one hand.
"…Strong," Renji muttered. "If this were the old me, I'd have been sent flying."
He had trained for nearly thirty years within the Dangai. Especially after being halted by Kurotsuki Renya with a single finger, Renji had redoubled his training beyond his limits. His physical strength had grown tremendously far beyond what it once was.
"Oh?" the Hollow grunted in surprise.
Its left fist shot forward toward Renji's abdomen.
"Too slow."
Renji pivoted on his toes, dodging past the strike and appearing behind the Hollow in an instant. His Zanpakutō flashed toward the creature's neck
but a massive fist intercepted him midair.
Boom!
Renji was sent flying, spinning through the air before landing heavily, bracing himself with one hand and his legs. He had blocked in time, avoiding serious injury.
Before he could recover, the Giant Wrist Whale bent its legs and launched itself skyward. In an instant, it appeared directly above Renji and smashed its fist downward.
"So fast…!"
Despite its enormous body, its speed rivaled that of a captain-class combatant. In past battles, even Sajin Komamura had sent it flying only for it to flip midair and return immediately.
Renji clenched his teeth and punched upward.
Boom!
Fist met fist. The shockwave tore through the surrounding forest, trees snapping apart under the pressure.
Renji spat blood, his left arm falling limp at his side.
"That's it?" the Hollow sneered. "Pathetic."
Renji had believed he could contend using physical strength alone—but he was wrong.
"…Guess I'll stop holding back."
He raised his Zanpakutō and shouted:
"Roar, Zabimaru!"
The blade transformed instantly, extending into a segmented, jagged sword connected by a chain.
"That's your Zanpakutō?" the Hollow mocked. "It looks weak."
As soon as the words left its mouth, Zabimaru shot forward.
The Hollow swung its arm to deflect it, but Zabimaru bent sharply midair, avoiding the strike, soaring upward before plunging down again.
Slash!
A line of blood appeared across the Hollow's cheek.
Zabimaru snapped back into Renji's grasp. His Shikai could only strike three times at long range before returning but even during the return, it could attack again.
The Hollow dodged sideways, but Zabimaru curved unnaturally, carving another bloody gash across its torso.
"Give it up," Renji said coldly. "You can't escape."
He swung again.
This time, instead of dodging, the Hollow lunged straight at Renji.
"Who said I was running?!"
Its fist smashed into Renji, but Renji twisted his body at the last second, using the impact to reduce the damage. At the same time, he swung Zabimaru with his right hand, striking in tandem.
Suddenly, Zabimaru reversed direction midair, coiling around the Hollow's arms and waist, yanking it down violently.
Boom!
The Hollow crashed into the ground. Zabimaru tightened, its jagged blades biting deep into flesh.
The Hollow struggled, but the more it resisted, the deeper the blades dug in.
"You can't break free," Renji said with a grin.
Crack—crack—crack!
Zabimaru shattered piece by piece.
The Hollow rose slowly, blood pouring from its wounds.
"…Looks like I destroyed your Zanpakutō."
Renji stared at the broken fragments and narrowed his eyes.
"Destroyed?"
He smirked. "You really think so?"
"Hold… Zabimaru."
Renji drove the broken blade into the ground.
The shattered segments around the Hollow began to rise, floating ominously.
"The baboon bites hard."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Six blade fragments shot forward simultaneously, tearing through the Hollow's body and slamming it into the earth.
This was the same technique Renji had once used against Sōsuke Aizen, though back then, it hadn't even scratched him.
Zabimaru reformed into its sealed state and returned to Renji's hand.
"A destroyed Shikai will restore once resealed."
Renji exhaled slowly.
"…That should be it."
He flexed his injured arm. He'd need treatment later.
Then
"Breathe… Giant Whale."
The Hollow's Zanpakutō-like weapon appeared in its hand. As it released, its body expanded violently, transforming into a massive whale-shaped monstrosity over twenty meters tall. Its shadow engulfed Renji completely.
Boom!
The colossal fist slammed down, annihilating the terrain and forming a massive crater.
"Tch. Using Resurrección on trash…"
As the dust cleared
Renji stood unharmed.
A massive skeletal snake surrounded him. Its skull-like head bore white bone and red fur, its segmented body formed from bone joints.
Bankai — Hihiō Zabimaru.
Boom!
Renji swung his arm. The skeletal serpent shot forward, coiling around the Hollow, blades piercing deep as it spun violently, shredding flesh.
"Break it!" the Hollow roared.
Its strength surged, snapping the serpent apart.
"…That's all?" it sneered, raising its fist.
Renji sighed.
"Why do you never learn?"
"Hihiō Zabimaru — Zekkō!"
The scattered bone fragments flew upward and fired like bullets.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Hollow screamed as its body was torn apart, bones visible beneath shredded flesh.
It gathered green energy in its mouth
but a massive skeletal snake head clamped down on its neck.
Crunch.
The Hollow's neck shattered instantly.
Boom.
Its body collapsed.
Renji exhaled slowly.
"…Finally."
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