Wind howled through shattered glass and bent steel as Renji stood atop the cracked skyscraper floor, his boots crunching on debris. Below, the city ruins stretched like a graveyard. Above, a broken ceiling let in pale daylight, bathing the battlefield in eerie gold.
The massive hyena beast crouched low, its bone-plated spine bristling, jaws frothing with saliva that sizzled as it hit the concrete. Its four hind legs flexed like coiled springs, ready to tear him apart. The skyscraper trembled beneath its weight.
Renji's lips curled into a grin that didn't belong to someone sane.
"Bow to your king," he said.
The beast roared—a sound so deep it rattled the steel pillars. Then it lunged.
[Feral Claw – Activated]
Renji sidestepped with Dash, his movement blurring, and struck at its flank with glowing knuckles. Sparks flew as his fists collided with bone plates. The monster barely flinched. Its tail whipped around like a spiked mace—Renji ducked low, concrete exploding where his head had been.
"Too slow."
The hyena twisted midair and slammed its jaws toward his throat. Renji activated Serpent Shedding—his afterimage was crushed, but his real body appeared at its side. He drove a vicious knee into its ribs. Something cracked, but the beast didn't stop—it spun and backhanded him with a clawed paw.
Crack.
Renji flew across the floor, smashing through a pillar. Blood spattered from his lips as the skyscraper groaned ominously.
[HP Dropping – Severe Impact Detected]
"...Heh," he chuckled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "That all you got?"
The beast snarled, charging again.
Renji popped a stamina potion, tossing the empty vial aside. His Aura shimmered violently.
[Alpha Aura – Active] [Dominance Effect Applied: Enemy Speed and Reaction –10%]
A pulse of authority rippled through the space. The beast hesitated for a fraction of a second—just enough.
Renji pounced.
He slammed both fists into its skull, the impact cracking bone. The monster howled, thrashing wildly. A claw ripped across his chest—Viper Aura Armor absorbed most of it, but blood still seeped through his shirt.
Renji didn't care.
His eyes glowed a faint blue now. His body pulsed with raw instinct, his smile stretching wider with every second.
The skyscraper floor buckled as they clashed—Hyena jaws snapping inches from his face, Renji's fists shattering bone with every strike. Sparks, blood, and shards of glass filled the air like a storm.
Finally, the beast lunged for a killing blow, its jaws wide.
Renji let it come.
At the last second, he vanished—Serpent Shedding triggered again. His afterimage was devoured, while the real Renji appeared above, knuckles blazing with killing intent.
"Die on your knees."
His fists came down like hammers of judgment.
Crack.
The skull shattered. The beast collapsed in a heap, blood pooling beneath its twitching body.
[Boss Defeated – F Rank (Hard): Mutant Hyena Brute] [XP Gained] [Skill Acquired: Echo Sense – Level 1] Effect: Detect vibrations and movement through surfaces. Enhances perception and reaction in melee combat.
Renji stood over the corpse, chest heaving. His Aura rippled like a violent storm as his faint blue eyes stared into nothing—wild, feral, alive.
The skyscraper wind howled.
And he smiled.
A smile like a king drenched in blood.